Zubiena

Access

Zubiena is easily reached from Biella and the Eporediese area thanks to the state road connecting Biella to Ivrea, flanked by the routes to Sala Biellese and Torrazzo. The nearest motorway junctions are those of Ivrea on the Turin-Aosta motorway and Santhià on the Milan-Turin motorway, from which one continues on the ordinary road network towards the Serra and the Biellese basin. The territory is also served by the railway connections of Biella and Ivrea stations, both supplemented by regional bus services. The reference airports are Turin-Caselle and Milan Malpensa, connected by rail and public transport to the Biellese area.

Introduction

Zubiena is a municipality in eastern Piedmont, located in the province of Biella, on the foothills of the Serra d'Ivrea. Its territory develops in a hilly area marked by the outer morainic cordons of the ridge and the river terraces that announce the vast Biella basin. The main settlement rises around 490 metres above sea level and dominates an articulated landscape, in which the glacial nature of the soils is combined with the historical evidence of the ancient Bessa gold mine, now part of the related nature park. The perception of the place is that of a balance between agricultural environments, historic nuclei and wooded belts that give shape to a diversified territory, rich in small streams and open views towards the plain.

Description

The landscape is shaped by the imposing moraine structure of the Serra, the largest in Europe, which here has soft relief and gravelly deposits accumulated during the Quaternary glaciations. The Bessa area, in particular, represents one of the most significant examples of a man-made landscape from the Roman era in northern Italy: a vast mining district where gold mining has left an impressive expanse of worked pebbles, which can still be seen in the landforms today. The Olobbia stream and a dense network of side streams draw small, shady valleys, alternating with meadows and cultivated fields, while the more exposed slopes are home to vineyards and rotational fields. The position of the main town, recognisable by its bell tower rising on the ridge, offers wide views over the Biella plain and, on a clear day, over the western Alpine arc.
The history of Zubiena dates back to the early mining exploitation of the Bessa, which favoured a widespread and stable settlement already in pre-Roman and Roman times. In the Middle Ages, the territory was organised around two religious and community poles, the church of San Nicolao near the present town centre and that of San Cassiano in the Riviera area, once called Blatino. The events of war between the 14th and 15th centuries caused the depopulation of the latter area and determined the shift of the centre of gravity towards the locality that today corresponds to the capital. During the Savoy era, the government of the territory passed to various feudal families, including the Avogadros and the Gattinaras, until the abolition of feuds in 1798. In the centuries that followed, the lack of any real industrial development favoured a gradual migration towards the larger urban centres, with a slow but steady demographic decline, only partly mitigated by recent activities linked to the enhancement of the natural and archaeological heritage.
The municipality's economy is characterised by a diffuse and small-scale imprint, still linked to agriculture, livestock breeding and forest management, supplemented by craft activities and services for the local population. The presence of the Bessa Nature Park and the Valle Elvo e Serra Ecomuseum, with the Gold Museum located in the hamlet of Vermogno, has encouraged forms of cultural and nature tourism that include thematic routes, guided tours and events dedicated to the area's mining history. These activities are complemented by low-altitude hiking, cycling tourism and initiatives to promote the area supported by local associations. The social fabric maintains strong ties with traditional community practices: patronal festivals, processions, convivial moments and activities of parish and sports associations punctuate the local calendar. The cuisine represents continuity with Biella's hillside tradition, rich in preparations that make the most of agricultural and dairy products and the resources of the wooded areas, such as chestnuts and mushrooms. The local Piedmontese dialect preserves the 'Zubien-a' form, testimony to the linguistic identity of the area.

Information

Area: 12.00 km²
Altitude:492m
Maximum elevation: approximately 570-580 m on the Serra hills
Number of inhabitants: 1,135 as of 31.07.2025
Name in dialect: Zubien-a
Name in dialect: Zubienesi
Patron Saint: San Nicolao, celebrated on 6 December
Bordering municipalities: Borriana, Cerrione, Magnano, Mongrando, Sala Biellese, Torrazzo
Website: www.comune.zubiena.bi.it