In the north-east of Piemonte, the province of Vercelli is characterised by flat land, edged by the pre-Alpine hills. Its position as the linchpin between Piemonte and Lombardia and extensive infrastructure make the Vercelli area a pivotal point on the Milano-Torino-Genova axis. The province is effectively divided into two parts, different in their geography and economy: the Vercelli zone, active in the fields of commerce, engineering and the biomedical industry, and agriculture, especially rice growing, and Valsesia, the mountainous part of the province, characterised by a consolidated industrial structure in engineering and textiles/clothing, in addition to its tourism potential due to the environment.