Piedmont's Hidden Gem:
Life and Landscape of Biellese Baraggia
March 30, 2019: the day I fell in love with the Baraggia di Candelo, and I will never be grateful enough to the group of friends who introduced me to it.
An almost alien territory nestled between the heavily anthropized landscape of the rice fields of Vercelli to the south and the manufacturing area of Biella to the north. A patch of land that evokes places thousands of kilometers away, remaining almost virgin due to its sterility and its use as a military training ground.
I immediately understood that this was a story I wanted to tell from every possible perspective.
The Baraggia di Candelo is a precious treasure trove of biodiversity, a unique landscape in the Po Valley where nature and tradition intertwine. This territory, with its heathland that turns purple in September thanks to the blooming of heather, hosts an extraordinary variety of species.
Rare birdlife, bees and dragonflies populate the area, while temporary pools offer refuge to native amphibians such as the Paduan tree frog and the great crested newt.
Beyond its ecological value, the Baraggia represents an important resource for the local community. Flat trails wind through meadows and oak woods, offering an ideal space for outdoor activities such as trekking, cycling and horseback riding. Here, ancient practices like transhumance survive, still connecting the territory to its historical roots.
I wanted to tell the story of the Baraggia di Candelo because it is an extraordinary place that deserves to be known and protected. With the hope that, one day, even the area currently designated as a military training ground might become part of the nature reserve, returning to the community an ecosystem of inestimable value.
This project has been exhibited on two important occasions:
in May 2025 at Cascina Emila in Burcina Park (Pollone - Biella), after winning a call for artistic projects issued by the Ticino and Lake Maggiore Park Authority;
in July 2025 at the Ricetto di Candelo, organized by the Municipality of Candelo under the patronage of the Ticino and Lake Maggiore Park Authority
