Fabbrica della Ruota

The former Lanificio Fratelli Zignone, today known as Wheel FactoryIt started its activities in 1878 and finally closed in 1964. After two decades of neglect, the building was reborn in 1984 with an exhibition entitled Industrial Archaeology in Valsessera and Vallestrona. This initiative sparked a keen interest in the Biella region for industrial archaeology, leading to the birth of DocBi. Today, the Wheel Factory is a lively cultural centre thanks to the many and varied initiatives organised within it. The former Zignone Wool Mill is part of the ecomuseum system of the Province of Biella and is considered one of the symbols of textile industrialisation. It houses the Textile Industry Documentation Centre, which includes about a hundred archival fonds and a specialised library. The Factory is located in the centre of the Wool Roadthe industrial archaeology route linking Biella and Borgosesia.