“Life ends, the road doesn’t” is written on trucks that cross Turkey’s vast plateaus. Who knows whether Ermenegildo Zegna, Count of Monterubello, was thinking the same thing when he decided, in 1937, to build a completely new road through the mountains encircling the Biella area, a horizon of snow-capped peaks from one end to the other.

This teasing quote opens the journey that Albano Marcarini did for GuideDautore.it, exploring the province of Biella and Oasi Zegna in particular, where the wood, iron, leather and paper manufacturing carried on through the 20^th century had already been rooted for centuries. Marcarini has written a guide that is mainly for cyclists, being rich in itineraries, practical tips and historical and cultural background.