The Valsesian puncetto or ‘petit point’ consists in a large number of small knots overlapping and alternating to form a lacework with geometric motifs. The expertise of the Fobello women in composing it is renowned and has brought recognition to this town in Val Mastallone, lateral to Valsesia.
It is 873 m asl in a Prealpine scenic context, harsh and wild, in the Parco dell’Alta Valsesia. The settlement is spread across numerous villages, still linked by paths and mule tracks. Fobello lives off its traditions, some delightful such as its baptism ritual: a newborn baby is placed in a wooden cradle and wrapped in a red cloth; the cradle is then placed on the head of a girl in local costume who carries the baby to the church.
Vincenzo Lancia, the founder of the prestigious Turin car manufacturer, was born in Fobello and a museum commemorating him also conserves documents. A second museum, in Frazione Campelli, is dedicated to Abbot Antonio Carestia with a copious botanical collection and to the sculptor Pier Ugo Tirozzo.
