I always loved historic places. Or places with
some interesting histories behind. Yesterday evening I visited one of the most
ancient ones in Biella, an industrial city in the Nort West of Italy nearby I
actually live, that really fascinated me and let me think about past and
future.
The place I visited has lived different changes
during the centuries. On the left side of Cervo river, in 1550 settled a paper
mill; then, a century later, a silk spinning plant has been builded. In the 18th
century the real estate had been enlarged to make room for a wool weaving
factory, that developed its activity thanks to the Industrial Revolution. The
site still have the name and is a property of Sella dynasty, that started with
the textile mill and go on during the time with other activities, including the
foundation of a bank in Biella, Banca Sella. In the 1990s they moved here the
data processing center of the bank. In the huge complex, located in a wonderful
environment, there are also the Sella Foundation, the bank training center and,
since 2013, the SellaLab, a start-up incubator and accelerator full of
passionate, young people that are co-working on new ideas and new ventures.
What struck me during the explanation of the
past and present life of this incredible group of buildings is that here
history and future blend together to create inspiration and new visions. In the
old, massive halls, in the restored rooms, it is really perceivable a sense
of identity, what Latins called “genius
loci” or the spirit of a place, where generations of entrepreneurs and workers
faced their challenges, pursued their dreams and lived their bad or good luck.
I think that good ideas can come out
everywhere, but in my opinion they can born better in a place like the Maurizio
Sella wool mill. Here you can breathe that sense of “I can do it!”. That gave
me a great hope, because we have roots and they could give us the seeds for our
future. Let them grow now!
www.sellalab.net
(sorry, just in Italian!)
