Rice Experience in Vercelli

Remembered by the Latin historian Tacitus, Vercelli was already in Roman times one of the most important cities of the Po Valley, due to its privileged geographical and strategic position that allowed it to flourish on a commercial and artistic level.

Its commercial strength was undoubtedly the cultivation of rice, which made Vercelli the center of production of this food in Italy and in Europe.

An accessible private van will offer roundtrip transportation from your hotel located in Turin, Milan or from the main stations/airports to Vercelli. In Vercelli, you will meet our bilingual guide, expert in art history, who will take you through an accessible route designed ad hoc to make you discover the city with its splendid squares, ancient palaces and medieval towers.

The first stop will be a visit to the Burgundy Museum, the second largest art gallery in Piedmont, immediately after the Galleria Sabauda in Turin. Born in 1907 from the will of the Vercelli philanthropist Francesco Borgogna, it collects the vast personal collection of paintings and sculptures of Italian art.

You will have lunch at a typical restaurant in the heart of Vercelli where you can taste the typical rice-based dishes such as the “panissa” (dish based on rice and beans) and the “brudera” (a dish made with rice, meat, shaded in red wine) which you can pair with a good glass of local Piedmontese wine.

The tour continues with a visit to a rice mill: a farm that over the years has evolved not only in the cultivation of rice, but also in the selection of the finest varieties, in the packaging and processing of derived products.

You will discover the history of the company, the stages of rice production and processing but above all you will visit the fields where the cultivation takes place. Later on, you can enjoy a tasting of sweet and savory recipes based on rice grown in the same mill.