Borgo il Piazzo

In 1160 the bishop of Vercelli offered privileges, including a weekly market, to anyone willing to settle this hill above Biella, and the Piazzo grew into the city's medieval upper town. It is still joined to the plain by steep lanes called coste and by a funicular opened in 1885. At its heart lies Piazza Cisterna, framed by porticoes with stone capitals and terracotta decoration.

Highlights

• Piazza Cisterna, seat of the town hall and market until the late 19th century
• Palazzo La Marmora and its tall octagonal tower (IT)
• Palazzo Dal Pozzo della Cisterna, with 16th-century frescoes of ancient Rome
• Piazza Cucco, a viewpoint over the valley of Pollone
• The funicular from the lower town, running since 1885

Summary based on Wikipedia and Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA), written with AI assistance.