Museo dell'oro e della Bessa
Museum of the Ecomuseo Valle Elvo e Serra at Vermogno, on the edge of the Bessa Reserve, on the history and techniques of gold prospecting.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museo dell’oro e della Bessa is in the hamlet of Vermogno, in Zubiena, and is part of the Ecomuseo Valle Elvo e Serra. It grew out of a group of Biellese enthusiasts who from 1985 gathered tools, testimonies and techniques of gold prospecting, and who then organised themselves into the Associazione biellese cercatori d’oro (Biellese Gold Prospectors’ Association). Together with the Associazione per l’Ecomuseo, this group gave life to the museum. In 2026 the museum celebrated its 25th anniversary.
The museum lies on the edge of the Riserva naturale speciale della Bessa, which holds the remains of a large gold mine from the Celtic and Roman periods: an artificial landscape dominated by huge heaps of pebbles, piled up to sort the gold-bearing alluvial material. The park’s visitor centre is also in the same hamlet.
The route documents the history and the techniques used over the centuries to search for gold, explains how native gold from mountain veins was carried downhill by the movement of glaciers, and shows numerous gold samples from Italian rivers and streams. The museum also offers guided tours, excursions and workshops, including with gold prospectors.
Highlights
- History and techniques of gold prospecting
- Gold samples from Italian rivers and streams
- Room of Techniques (Sala delle Tecniche)
- Close to the Bessa Special Nature Reserve, an ancient Celtic and Roman gold mine
- Gold prospecting alongside the prospectors
Permanent exhibition
- Collezione permanente sulla ricerca dell'oro – History and techniques of gold prospecting, the origin of alluvial gold and gold samples from Italian rivers and streams.
- Founded
- 2001
- Operated by
- Associazione per l'Ecomuseo Valle Elvo e Serra
- Visitors per year
- approx. 800
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
Training activities include gold prospecting with the prospectors.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Besides guided tours, training activities take place in Vermogno all year round, on day trips, combining excursions and workshops on the landscape and on gold prospecting (geology, techniques, tools). |
