Vercelli

Vercelli is a city in northern Italy, and it's been around for a super long time, like since before your great-great-great-grandparents were born! It's nestled between two big cities, Milan and Turin, and it sits right next to a river called the Sesia. This city is special because it's one of the oldest places people have lived in northern Italy.

It's like a living history book, but with more sunshine and yummy food!

Guess what Vercelli is famous for? Rice! The land all around the city is covered in fields where rice grows. In the summer, these fields are filled with water, making them look like giant, shiny mirrors. This is where the rice we eat comes from! The weather here is warm and a little bit foggy in the winter, and it gets nice and hot in the summer, perfect for growing all that yummy rice.

People in Vercelli speak two languages. There's Italian, which you might know, and another language called Piedmontese. The special way they speak Piedmontese in Vercelli is called Varslèis. So, when you visit, you might hear two different kinds of sounds! It's like having two favorite songs playing at the same time, but in a good way!

Did you know that Vercelli once had a university that was the very first one in the whole world to be paid for by the government? It opened a super long time ago, in 1228! Even though it closed down later, Vercelli still has places where people go to learn today. It's a city that loves learning, from ancient times all the way to now!