BIELLA, episcopal see, Piedmont, Italy, province of Vercelli, 55m. N.E. of Turin by rail, and 38m. direct, on the southern edge of the lower Alps. Pop. (1931) town 9,755; commune 28,210. The old upper town (1,558ft.) and new lower town are linked by cable tram. Fine palaces with terra-cotta decorations and a modern bath establishment are in the old town. The new town contains the cathedral and the fine Renaissance church of S. Sebastiano; near the former is a baptistery of the 9th century. It is (and has long been, for the statutes of the wool industry go back to 1312) a considerable manufacturing centre for woollens, silks and cottons.