Casa Teccio (Biella)

Buildings of historical importance

Category: Buildings of historical importance

Piazzo, a medieval hamlet of Biella, was created in 1160 thanks to the will of the bishop of Vercelli Uguccione. Located at the top of the hill west of the city, it was once surrounded by a wall and connected to the plain by steep, stony roads called coste, still used today, along which ancient main entrances were located.. Narrow roads, low porticos, noble homes, terracotta ornamentation, and scenic stops characterize this spot reached by the funicular that links the lower city to the upper city. The heart of Piazzo is Piazza Cisterna, once the city’s administrative seat and seat of justice, as well as the weekly market and butcher. Today, the square has a circular shape lined by two and three storey buildings resting on medieval porticos. The Palazzo della Cisterna is the dominate presence here with its 16th century façade, dressing a more ancient body, where numerous decorations in terracotta can be seen – the same ones that can be seen on the arches of the oldest building on the square, Casa Teccio. Testifying to the Gothic origins of the building’s layout are, above all, the portico’s pointed arches, traceable to Biella terracotta from the Middle Ages, with the addition of Renaissance ornamentation. Also the inner courtyard, decorated with terracotta, dates back to the Renaissance period. Up high, runs a colonnade made up of 11 small pointed arches which creates a strong chiaroscuro effect and is reminiscent of the Palazzo Cisterna colonnade.

Information

Piazza Cisterna - 13900 Biella Piazzo (Bi)
Tel. +39.015.35071 - Fax: +39.015.3507508 (Comune)