Vercelli is one of the most important cities in Piedmont, a commercial, agricultural and cultural center. In its center, a lot of historic buildings have been preserved, including the thirteenth-century basilica of St. Anthony.
The city is often referred to as the "European capital of rice". In its vicinity there are the largest rice fields on the continent. Rice from the Vercelli area is considered the best for making risotto. The city also has its own variation of this dish, panissa, which was originally a meal of laborers working in the rice fields.
As in the whole of Piedmont, also in Vercella, Italian influences and those coming from behind the Alps, from the areas of today's Austria and France, clash with each other. They are visible, among others in the basilica of St. Anthony, the main attraction of Vercella. It combines Romanesque elements, characteristic of northern Italy, with European Gothic influences. Inside the temple, you can admire Gaudenzio Ferrari's Renaissance frescoes, including one of the oldest violin depictions in Europe.
Vercelli's attractions also include the local museum. The Francesco Museum of Burgundy has a rich collection of Italian and European art, while the Leone Museum houses exhibitions showing the history of the city and the region from prehistoric times to the present day.
