Discover Pollone: Parco Burcina and Cultural Routes

Parco Burcina: historic garden and trails

The Parco Burcina “Felice Piacenza” is a historic garden located within the municipalities of Biella and Pollone. The main entrance to the Parco Burcina is in Pollone near Piazza San Rocco; a large car park is available to visitors there. Pollone and the Parco Burcina can be reached from Biella by scheduled buses.

From the entrance to the summit of the Parco Burcina, an unpaved road open to vehicles runs through the park. Numerous trails branch off from this road; some of them can also be used with pushchairs or wheelchairs. If you are using a pushchair or wheelchair, you should therefore distinguish between the individual trails, as only some trails are explicitly accessible, not all of them in general. The trail network includes the route to the summit and numerous branches within the park.

Archaeology and Villa Ametis

The Parco Burcina is also of archaeological significance due to the discovery of artefacts and a horseshoe-shaped dry-stone wall in 1959. According to recent investigations, the dry-stone wall is interpreted as a tomb from the Late Bronze Age, dating to the 13th century BC.

Villa Ametis remains the family’s residence and is not a museum or public building.

Churches and commemorative heritage in Pollone

The Frassati family tomb is located in the cemetery of Pollone and was also visited by Pope John Paul II. The façade of the SS. Trinità church in Pollone is decorated with frescoes by the painter Lorenzo Delleani. The church dedicated to Saint Sebastian and Saint Fabian is considered to be Pollone’s first church. The cemetery, church and church façade represent different forms of cultural heritage in Pollone.

GTB stages and the route to Monte Mucrone

GTB Stage 21 begins at Piazza San Rocco by the entrance to the Burcina nature reserve, passes through the protected area and reaches Torre Martini. GTB Route 07 runs from Pollone to Zumaglia. It is 20.5 kilometres long, takes approximately seven hours and has the difficulty level “Hiking”.

A route to Monte Mucrone begins near the cemetery of Pollone. After covering an elevation gain of 1,500 metres, the route ends at an altitude of approximately 2,000 metres, a short distance from the summit of Monte Mucrone. The start near the cemetery and the high-altitude endpoint give the route a clearly recognisable direction.

On the trails of Pier Giorgio

The “On the trails of Pier Giorgio” itinerary is divided into seven stages; along the signposted route, information panels introduce visitors to the places associated with and the life of Pier Giorgio Frassati. The “On the trails of Pier Giorgio” itinerary offers an accessible experience amid the history and alpine landscape of the Biellese area. Pier Giorgio Frassati particularly loved the alpine landscape of the Biellese area. The stage structure gives the itinerary a clear framework, while the information panels explore the places associated with and the life of Pier Giorgio Frassati thematically.

Other places: Campiglia Cervo, Bioglio, Caprile, Camandona, Sordevolo, Graglia, Netro, Biella

Back to the higher-level travel overview: Province of Biella.