Vercelli

Capital of Vercelli province in Piedmont region, northwest Italy, near the River Sesia, 65 km/40 mi northeast of Turin; population (2001 est) 47,900. Vercelli is situated at the junction of the Milan–Turin road with the road from Genoa. It is the centre of Europe's main rice-producing area, producing over 200 million kg/440 lbs a year, and has engineering, chemical, textile, and timber industries.

Of Celtic origin, Vercelli was a Roman town in Gaul. The Roman general Gaius Marius vanquished the Cimbri here in 101 BC. In the 4th century AD it was the first Piedmont bishopric, the seat of St Eusebius. The town was fortified in the Middle Ages, but the walls were destroyed by the French in 1704. The Cavour canal was built in the 19th century and helped establish Vercelli as an important agricultural region.

Important buildings include the Romanesque-Gothic Basilica of San Andrea, the churches of San Cristoforo and the Duomo built between the 13th and 18th centuries, and the Casa Centori built in the 15th century. Vercelli hosts a rice festival in September each year. The Viotti International Music Competition is also held annually in Vercelli. There is a museum, the Museo Leone and an archive, the Archivio Capitolare. The 16th-century artists Bernardino Lanino and Giuseppe Giovenone were born in the capital.

Vercelli

Province of northern Italy in northeast Piedmont region; capital Vercelli; area 2,088 sq km/806 sq mi; population (2000 est) 180,600. The province contains Europe's most important rice-producing region, producing 200 million kg/440 lbs a year. It also has a long tradition in other agriculturally-related industries such as the wool industry.