- Medieval Age
The Conti Museum is known above all for its prehistoric and paleontological discoveries; however, it also keeps and exhibits some objects relating to the Middle Ages.
Located in the last stretch of the museum itinerary, the collection hints at how limited the number of sites and investigations related to this historical period is. Research was carried out without following a scrupulous and scientific method of investigation. The collection mainly exhibits the discoveries made in the 1910s and 1920s at the Castle of Vanzone, a hamlet of Borgosesia.
Among other remains, the display cases exhibit large construction nails, arrow and crossbow tips, a stirrup, a large key and a door knocker; they also display the ceramic artifacts found on the site, dating back to a period between the 13th and 16th century.
The lack of documentation and the state of the ruins do not allow a reconstruction of the development of the defense system nor of the entire context between the 11th and 16th centuries.
In 1070 the center of Seso was attested among the properties of the noble group of the Counts of Biandrate and was an important crossroads between Valsessera, Valsesia and the Novara area.
The importance of this territory as an exchange place, a market and a hub is actually confirmed by the innumerable fortifications erected by the Counts of Biandrate in the area today included between the hamlets of Aranco and Vanzone, starting from the fortification of Agnona, which took place in 1140-41.
The highly uneven settlement of the entire Valsesia is also reflected in the curtis of Seso; in 1217, 218 heads of households were registered – for a total of 2000 inhabitants - scattered among the centers of Vanzone, Robiallo and Agnona.
In 1247 the foundation of the free village of Seso by the Municipality of Vercelli allowed the merging of all the garrisons into a single body. This operation was part of the border control policy, also implemented by the Eusebian institution in nearby Gattinara.
Another interesting aspect we hope to be able to investigate in the near future is the medieval occupation of the caves. This theme was so far underestimated due to the preferences shown by the scholars who studied the caves of Monte Fenera, starting with Carlo Conti.
