Visit Ivrea
Your visit to the town of Ivrea can start from the Piazza Castello, begun in 1358 and finished in 1395, with its four angular cylindrical towers and a large central courtyard. The castle was built by Amadeus VI, and it has a solid architectural framework, characterized by high circular towers and lightened only by the presence of single-light windows. In the eighteenth century it was transformed into a prison, and it remained so until 1970, when major renovations began.
Leaving the castle, move towards the Bishopric. The exact period of construction is unknown, but its origins are very ancient (it is the opinion of scholars that it was the home of Bishop Warmondo in the tenth century). The palace is a collection of buildings from different periods, but they are still some medieval architectural features, such as the "Bishop's Tower", which exceeds the roof by a few meter the roof and preserves some special terracotta decorations.
Ivrea Cathedral and Crypt
Continuing on we reach Ivrea Cathedral, with three naves, which preserves, despite the many restorations over the centuries, many parts of dating back to the Cathedral of Warmondo - in particular the semicircular apse and two bell towers of Romanesque architecture. The two towers are very similar, and they are divided into overlapping frames with decorations and hanging arches, while the top on each side features open mullioned windows.
Beneath the church lies the crypt, which was built in two stages. The oldest, of semicircular shape, is located under the apse, and it is surmounted by cross vaults supported by columns, while the most recent dates from the 12th century and is divided into three naves. In the crypt there is an ancient Roman marble sarcophagus belonged to Quaestor Gaius Valerius Atecius (second half of the first century BC), very well preserved. In the crypt there are also three tombs of the Bishops of the city. From the 12th to the 15th century, the cathedral was decorated with various paintings and sculptures; in the sixteenth century the chapels along the aisles were erected, while in the second half of the nineteenth century it was enlarged and the current Neo-classical façade was built. In the rear of the cathedral there are the remains of the Cloister of the Chapter of Canons, which dates to the construction of two Romanesque church towers.
Art in Ivrea Civic Museum
Near the “Via Arboreo”, you can find the 18th century seminary, while in the “Ottinetti” square is the Civic Museum, dedicated to the scholar Peter Alexander Garda (1791-1880) and with a section of Eastern and Archaeological art, and a number of frescoes of the 15th and 17th century. The “Garda” is a large collection of Oriental art, collected by Peter Alexander Garda in the late nineteenth century. According to experts it is one of the most important currently existing outside Japan. The collection represents a great wealth of archaeological finds, mainly dedicated to the colony of "Eporedia" and its origins. It is particularly important because "Eporedia" formed the foundation of the first colony of the western Trans-Padania.
The so-called "Guelpa" Collection includes several paintings from the 14th and 20th centuries, such as the “Crucifixion” by Giovanni del Biondo (14th century), “Madonna with the Child”, by Neri di Bicci (1418-1492), “Christ removed from the cross”, attributed to Ambrogio da Fossano (1453-1523), a self-portrait by Annibale Carracci (1555-1619), “Adam and Eve”, by Cornelis Corneliszoon Van Haarlem (1562-1638), “Saint Sebastian”, attributed to the School of Nicola Régnier (1590 approx.-1667), a “Portrait of a woman”, by Filadelfo Simi (1849-1923). There are many works by Pietro Annigoni (1910-1988), an "intimate” painter, sensitive to natural landscapes, and family life, whose we can admire “Lapis” (1931), a portrait of Narciso Pignotti [1899-1958] (Florence, 1931), a “self-portrait with the headdress” .
Also in the museum are furniture and other antiques, collected in the early twentieth century by Abdone Croff (1893-1946), who was a great friend of Pietro Annigoni.
Continuing to explore Ivrea
Along the “Corso Massimo d'Azeglio” and going on to a country road, we reach the Roman Amphitheatre, of the Late-Imperial Age. Also worth a visit is the 15th century church of San Bernardino, with its frescoes about the "Life of Jesus". The earliest part of the church was built in the first half of the 15th century by the convent of the Franciscan order to a rectangular plan with vaulted ceilings, typical of the Gothic architecture, and the monastery has two cloisters, cells of the dormitory, refectory and laboratories. In the second half of the 15th century followed the construction of an aisle that allowed easier access to the public, divided by a partition from the early church with three arches. The expansion included the construction of two side chapels, and an increase in area giving an area directly connected to the monastery and reserved for the choir.
Places to visit near Ivrea - and local cuisine
Not far from Ivrea you can visit the Lake of Viverone, where some remains have been found from the Bronze Age and it is now a popular tourist destination. Every year, during Carnival, Ivrea held a demonstration in which thousands of people take part and during which we can taste the most famous local products. Lovers of sweets and chocolate will be delighted to discover the "cake 900", based on sponge-cake and chocolate cream. The cuisine is typical of the Piedmont, and based largely on rice. For many centuries rice was a vital source of food for the inhabitants of this region and people have invented many variations in its use, from rice duck to rice with champagne and shrimp, to the "Paniscia", a rice-soup with vegetables, bacon, beans, sausage, salame and wine.
See also history of Ivrea