Mongrando
The History of the Province of Biella
Hello friends, today I will talk to you about the Province of Biella, a province located in the Piedmont region in northern Italy. The province has a population of about 169,024 inhabitants and is bordered to the west by the Aosta Valley, to the south by the metropolitan city of Turin, and to the east by the Province of Vercelli.
The Province of Biella was established on February 18, 1622, when Duke Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy divided the eastern region of the Alpine chain into 12 provinces to facilitate tax collection. However, the province of Biella at the time included municipalities in Canavese and Vercelli, but excluded some municipalities that are now part of the Province of Biella, such as Occhieppo Inferiore, which belonged to the Province of Vercelli.
The Province of Biella was abolished in 1859 and replaced by a district included in the Province of Novara. In 1927, this territory was transferred to the newly established Province of Vercelli.
Eastern Biella was hit by floods in 1968, which caused landslides and significant damage. 58 people died, many of whom were killed while sleeping, in addition to about 100 injured, the destruction of houses and some textile companies, and the destruction of roads and circulation infrastructures.
The current Province of Biella was established in 1992, with d.lgs 248 of March 6, 1992, separating from the Province of Vercelli. The provincial area almost entirely coincides with that of the old Province of Biella.
Proposed Provincial Restructuring
Following the reforms desired by the Monti government, on October 3, 2012, the Council of Local Autonomies of Piedmont approved the aggregation of the Province of Biella with that of Novara and that of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in a large province called "Quadrante" with Novara as its capital. However, the Piedmont Region proposed a new arrangement for the Province of Biella and Vercelli, which provided for a merger between the two provinces. The decree was approved on October 31, 2012, by the Council of Ministers, but was not converted into law, so it did not result in any changes to the provincial arrangement.
On November 30, 2013, the declaration of financial distress of the Province of Biella was approved.
Historical Notes on the Largest Municipalities
Among the municipalities of the Province of Biella, the largest is Biella, followed by Cossato, which is located at the western end of the Biella plain, at the foot of the hills. Other notable municipalities are Andorno Micca, Candelo, Masserano, Mottalciata, Sandigliano, and Verrone, which are part of the flat area of Biella and have a strong textile industry.
Conclusion
I hope I have sparked your interest in the history of the Province of Biella and its ups and downs. This province, like many others in our country, has an interesting and complex history. Let's continue to talk about it and discover its beauties.
