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Welcome to Biella Province: history and territory
Hi! Today I will talk to you about Biella Province, a beautiful province in Piedmont with a rich and ancient history. Biella Province was created in 1622 by Duke Carlo Emanuele I of Savoy, who divided his possessions east of the Alps into 12 provinces to facilitate tax collection. The territory of Biella Province then included municipalities in Canavese and Vercelli, but over the centuries it has evolved and now includes 74 municipalities, most of which are in Biellese.
The 1968 Piedmont Flood
One of the saddest pages of the province's history was the 1968 Piedmont Flood. On November 2 of that year, heavy rain fell on the eastern area of the province, causing great damage. The landslide of a mountain caused the collapse of numerous houses and the death of 58 people. Many of these victims died in their sleep and the toll was devastating: destroyed homes, textile companies destroyed, and landslides everywhere. The most affected municipalities were Valle Mosso, Veglio, Strona, and Mosso Santa Maria.
The Creation of the Current Biella Province
In 1859, Biella Province was abolished and replaced by a district of Biella included in the province of Novara; later, it was included in the newly established province of Vercelli. The current Biella Province was only established in 1992, with legislative decree 248 of March 6, 1992, after its separation from the province of Vercelli. The first administrative elections were held in May 1995. Today, Biella Province has about 169,000 inhabitants.
Contrasts and Difficulties in Recent History
In 2012, reforms wanted by the "public spending revision" of the Monti government proposed the aggregation of Biella Province with Novara Province in a large province called "Quadrant." However, this proposal was rejected and Biella Province maintained its original structure.
Unfortunately, Biella Province has faced several financial difficulties in recent years. In 2013, the financial disaster of Biella Province was declared, but there were hopes that the situation would be resolved with the approval of a bill on the reform of Title V of the Constitution.
Conclusion
Here is a brief overview of the beautiful and historic Biella Province. Thank you for reading my summary! Let's hope that the province can overcome the difficulties of recent years and continue to be a beautiful and prosperous area.
