Vercelli was an obligatory stop for pilgrims on the way from Canterbury to Rome in the Middle Ages and to date it is still an important hub of the Via Francigena. Vercelli became the European capital of rice and socio-economic workshop at the beginning of the twentieth century. In the centre of piazza Cavour there is a monument to Camillo Benso the Count of Cavour who was the first president of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of Italy and creator of the Cavour Canal, the great innovation of the irrigation and rice cultivation system. Its frescoed porticos delimit the square, which is dominated by Torre dell’Angelo, a fifteenth-century tower house. Its remains recall the complex of civic and private towers that made Vercelli the only towered city in Piemonte. Its landmark is Basilica of Sant’Andrea, which celebrated its 800th anniversary in 2019. This is an early example of Italian Gothic architecture, the polychrome marble of which is inspired by Cistercian decorative models. Among the unique finds of the Museo del Tesoro del Duomo is the Vercelli Book: dating back to the end of the 10th century and written in Old English prose, it has contributed to the European reputation of the town over the last centuries. Among the remarkable sites are the monumental crucifix dating back to the year 1000 in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Sant’Eusebio, and the church of San Cristoforo: the "Sistine Chapel of Vercelli" full of wonderful frescoes. The thirteenth-century Visconti Castle and the interesting Museo della Farmacia (Pharmacy Museum), which recounts two-hundred years of its history are to be seen. The former church of San Marco (the subject of a skilful architectural recovery) houses the "Arca" exhibition centre, which has seen important exhibitions organised with the Guggenheim Foundation. Find out more on www.atlvalsesiavercelli.it