Holiday apartment in Masserano: history, nature and special discoveries

Masserano combines a multifaceted local history with protected landscapes, remarkable natural finds and lively traditions. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Masserano, you will discover a place where historic buildings, paths through the countryside and regional wine culture come together to create a variety of holiday experiences.

Palazzi, churches and narrow streets

In the Borgo Antico, arcades and narrow streets shape the townscape; they converge in a small square in the Borgo Inferiore. The Palazzo dei Principi was built in 1597 at the instigation of Marchesa Claudia di Savoia and her son Francesco Filiberto. Following the uprising of 1624, a long gallery made of white stucco was added, connecting the main building with the chapel. The work lasted from 1632 to 1634. The palazzo contains frescoes, decorated coffered ceilings and valuable stucco decorations.

The churches, too, tell of different eras. The Chiesa di San Teonesto was Masserano’s first parish church. Its very ancient origins date back to the 10th century; it is located outside the borgo on an isolated hill. During the restoration of its façade in 2022, old wall paintings depicting the Cross and the Franciscan saints San Francesco, San Bernardino da Siena and San Ludovico da Tolosa were uncovered. The Collegiata of Masserano is the parish church dedicated to the Santissima Annunziata. It was built between 1480 and 1485 and consecrated in 1486. It houses the Madonna Nera di Masserano (Salus Infirmorum), a work of art from the second half of the 14th century. At the entrance to the town stands the Chiesa di Santo Spirito, a Baroque church built in the second half of the 17th century.

Baragge natural area and fossils along the Ostola

Masserano is one of the municipalities within the Riserva Naturale delle Baragge, which protects remaining sections of the original Baraggia landscape. The protected area of Baraggia di Rovasenda bears the code IT1120004, includes Masserano as one of the participating municipalities in the Province of Biella and has the protection status of a regional protected area, the Riserva naturale orientata delle Baragge. In the Osterla area there is an archaeological site with numerous fossils. In addition, grey-blue clays along some sections of the banks of the Torrente Ostola near Masserano contain fossils from the Pliocene.

Active days and regional discoveries

You can go horseback riding along the trails. From March 2012, an MTB school for young people with state-recognized or federated instructors was established in the bike park of Parco Arcobaleno in Masserano. These different themes make it easier to choose the focus of your holiday: you can combine historic buildings, nature observation and active days without reducing Masserano to just one aspect.

Opening hours, traditions and Bramaterra

The Palazzo dei Principi is open from 7 March to 7 November 2026 on Saturdays and Sundays from 3 to 6 p.m.; additional openings for groups are possible by arrangement. Guided tours of the Chiesa di San Teonesto are offered on weekends as part of extraordinary openings of the monuments of the Polo Museale Masseranese, as well as by arrangement for groups and school classes. In the hamlet of Rongio, a bonfire is lit on the evening of 24 December, recalling ancient pre-Christian rites. Omens for the new year are inferred from the direction of the sparks. Bramaterra wine is part of the typical gastronomic and viticultural offering of the Masserano area, where it is considered particularly well known.

When choosing your holiday apartment in Masserano, you can be guided by the mix you are looking for: the Borgo Antico and the churches are ideal for cultural and historical discoveries, the Baragge and the sites for an interest in natural history, while horseback riding, the MTB tradition and Bramaterra offer further focal points. This leaves room for a holiday that combines sightseeing, landscapes and regional specialities.

Discover more places

As nearby destinations, you can explore Graglia, Zimone, Salussola, Tollegno, Bioglio, Vigliano Biellese, Camandona and Muzzano.

To the higher-level travel overview: Biella.