Lessona: Winegrowing, Trails and Cultural Heritage

Lessona combines a landscape shaped by winegrowing with historic buildings and trails. Long, sun-exposed hillsides stretch across the north and central part of the area; their conditions have favoured the development of winegrowing. Religious buildings and historic country villas add further chapters to the area’s history. When planning your stay, you can explore Lessona through its winegrowing, cultural heritage and routes as distinct themes.

Winegrowing as Landscape and History

Winegrowing at al Tsöp has been documented since the 15th century. A written record from 1436 mentions the dello Zoppo vineyard. The DOC designation is also part of the history of Lessona wine: Lessona received it in 1976, when production regulations for this wine were established. These milestones span the period from winegrowing in the 15th century to regulated designation of origin in the 20th century.

The history of local winegrowing is also reflected in Lessona’s many stately country estates. Palazzo Sella is one of them, an old country villa on Tsöp. Giovanni Giacomo Antonio Sella had the building constructed in 1834 to a design by Canon Serratrice. Alongside the evidence of winegrowing, Palazzo Sella represents another aspect of local history: the connection between agriculture and stately country estates.

Places and Buildings

Parco delle Cicogne was created in 1993 as a large green space for recreation and play in the centre of the town. The Lessona wine route also starts there. This named location therefore brings together two distinct features: the park in the centre and the route’s starting point.

One of the oldest religious buildings is San Vénts, an 11th-century chapel dedicated to Saint Gaudenzio and considered Lessona’s first church. A fresco of Saint Christopher survives on its south side. It welcomes travellers arriving along a section of the Via Lexonasca. Lessona’s parish church is dedicated to Saint Lorenzo; its origins probably predate the year 1000.

San Basc-cian lies at the foot of Tsöp and is dedicated to Saint Sebastian. The 15th-century oratory is one of Lessona’s oldest. The Oratory of San Pietro has a different history: founded in the second half of the 17th century, it belonged to the Santuario di Oropa in the 18th century. Its surviving features include a beautiful courtyard and a well.

Trails and Activities

The Stra da Mort hiking trail connects Géza and San Basc-cian. Stage 37 of the GTB offers different landmarks: it passes close to the ruins of the Prevostura di Lessona and runs near the Osterla stream, by significant fossil-bearing outcrops from the Pliocene. The route descriptions therefore focus on different features: Stra da Mort names the places it connects, while the GTB stage highlights ruins and geological points of interest.

Cycling is also among the activities described. Amici MTB Lessona promotes the area by organising the national MTB marathon “La Prevostura”. For over twenty years, the association has also worked to preserve the rural heritage: it restores and maintains old trails, making them accessible to mountain bikers and other visitors. Together, the hiking trails and the association’s work offer different ways to explore Lessona’s landscape and rural history.

Discover more destinations: Andorno Cacciorna, Sostegno, Portula, Castellengo, Vivaro, Sordevolo, Magnano, Caprile.

For the broader travel overview: Biella.