Ivrea (; ; ; ) is a town and comune of the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. Situated on the road leading to the Aosta Valley (part of the medieval Via Francigena), it straddles the Dora Baltea and is regarded as the capital of the Canavese area.
Founded by the Romans under the name "Eporedia," the town became the center of the March of Ivrea during the Middle Ages and briefly served as the capital of the Kingdom of Italy in the 11th century. It later became part of the possessions of the House of Savoy. In the 20th century, Ivrea gained international recognition as the headquarters of the Olivetti company, a pioneer in technological innovation, known for creating some of the first computers. Thanks to Olivetti, the town also became a center of architectural innovation, with the construction of several modernist buildings that reflected the era's progressive spirit. On 1 July 2018, the site which is known as "Industrial City of the 20th Century" was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The town is well known for the Ivrea Carnival, which features the famous Orange Battle as its main event, as well as for its ancient and modern architecture, including landmarks such as Ivrea Castle, Ivrea Cathedral and the Olivetti complex. It is also a growing hub for sports, particularly canoeing and kayaking, having hosted several international competitions.
Etymology The Latin name of the city was Eporedia, likely of Celtic origin. The toponym may derive from the contraction of the Gaulish terms epo (related to the Ancient Greek hippos, meaning "horse") and reda ("four-wheeled cart"). This suggests that Ivrea was already a strategic road station for horse-drawn carriages accessing the Cisalpine region. Over time, the name evolved through various forms, including Yporegia, Iporeia, Ivreia, and eventually IvreaVelleio Patercolo, Historiae Romanae, I, 15, 5: «Post duodeviginti annos in Bagiennis Eporedia, Mario sextum Valerioque Flacco consulibus»..
History
Prior to the foundation of the Roman colony, the principal settlement of the Salassi in the Ivrea area has been identified at Brich Appareglio, locally known as Paraj Àuta, near Pavone Canavese, approximately 3 km south of the historic centre . The site was occupied from the Final Bronze Age until the fifth century BC and, following a period of abandonment, was briefly reoccupied in the later second century BC. This phase of occupation probably ended with the foundation of the Roman colony of Eporedia in 100 BC.
The Roman colony of Eporedia was founded in 100 BC, during the sixth consulship of Gaius Marius, as recorded by Velleius PaterculusSandro Caranzano, Piemonte romano. Città, monumenti e testimonianze archeologiche del Piemonte in età romana, Torino, Edizioni del Capricorno, 2023, pp. 36-40, ISBN 978-88-7707-716-5.. Established as a colony of Roman citizens (colonia civium Romanorum), it stood on the left bank of the Dora Baltea, in a strategically important position at the entrance to the Aosta Valley and along the route leading to the Alpine passes. Its purpose was to control the territory of the Salassi, who were finally subjugated by Rome in 25 BC. The principal archaeological remains of the Roman city include the amphitheatre, erected during the Flavian period over the remains of an Augustan villa outside the urban perimeterLuisa Brecciaroli Taborelli e Christiane Delplace, «Ivrea. Anfiteatro romano», in Quaderni della Soprintendenza Archeologica del Piemonte, n. 4, 1985, sezione «Notiziario», Torino, pp. 49–52.; the theatre, whose remains survive beneath the historic centreVincenzo Promis, «Memorie di Carlo Promis sugli avanzi del teatro romano d’Ivrea», in Atti della Società di Archeologia e Belle Arti per la Provincia di Torino, vol. IV, Torino, 1883, pp. 87–94.; and the remains of the monumental Roman bridge across the Dora Baltea. Originally comprising ten arches, the bridge is now submerged and becomes visible only when the river level is occasionally lowered artificially. Silvana Finocchi, «Banchina romana su palificata trovata a Ivrea nell’alveo della Dora», in Studi di archeologia dedicati a Pietro Barocelli, Torino, Soprintendenza archeologica del Piemonte, 1980, pp. 89–93.
Following the Gothic War, Ivrea may have formed part of the Byzantine defensive system in north-western Italy. Some scholars have indeed proposed identifying the city with the kástron Eourías mentioned in the Descriptio orbis Romani of George of CyprusAdriano La Regina, «Ivrea bizantina», in Quaderni della Soprintendenza archeologica del Piemonte, n. 8, 1988, pp. 59–64.. During the Lombard period, Ivrea was the seat of a duchyCaterina Giostra, «Il ducato longobardo di Ivrea: la grande necropoli di Borgomasino», in Ada Gabucci, Luisella Pejrani Baricco e Stefania Ratto (a cura di), Per il Museo di Ivrea. La sezione archeologica del Museo civico Pier Alessandro Garda, Sesto Fiorentino, All’Insegna del Giglio, 2014, pp. 155–175, ISBN 978-88-7814-605-1.. The Liber Pontificalis records that in 772 Tunno, Duke of Ivrea, was sent by King Desiderius to Pope Hadrian I, together with Theodicius, Duke of Spoleto, with the task of restoring friendly relations with the pontiff.
Under the Franks (9th century), Ivrea was a county capital. In the year 1001, after a period of disputes with bishop Warmund, ruler of the city, Arduin conquered the March of Ivrea. Later he became King of Italy and began a dynasty that lasted until the 11th century, when the city fell again under the bishops' sovereignty.
In the 12th century, Ivrea became a free comune, but succumbed in the first decades of the following century to the rule of Emperor Frederick II. Later, Ivrea was disputed between the bishops, the marquisate of Monferrato and the House of Savoy.
In 1356, Ivrea was acquired by Amadeus VI of Savoy. With the exception of the brief French conquest at the end of the 16th century, Ivrea remained under the House of Savoy until 1800. It was a subsidiary title of the king of Sardinia, although the only Marquis of Ivrea was Benedetto of Savoy (who later fought in the French Revolutionary wars). On 26 May 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte entered the city along with his victorious troops, establishing control that ended in 1814 after his fall.
During the 20th century, its primary claim to fame was as the base of operations for Olivetti, a manufacturer of typewriters, mechanical calculators and, later, computers.Utopia, Abandoned The New York Times, 2019 The Olivetti company no longer has an independent existence, though its name still appears as a registered trademark on office equipment manufactured by others. In 1970, about 90,000 people, including commuters from Southern Italy, lived and worked in the Ivrea area.
The Arduino electronic platform was created at the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea, and takes its name from a bar named after the historical figure of Arduin of Italy. UNESCO, when it designated the city a World Heritage Site, said that it "expresses a modern vision of the relationship between industrial production and architecture."
Geography
Ivrea is situated at an altitude of approximately 267 meters above sea level, not far from the entrance to the Aosta Valley. It is crossed by the Dora Baltea river, a tributary of the Po, and is located in an area shaped by a large Pleistocene glacier, which over time transported numerous debris that formed a series of moraine hills, including the Serra d'Ivrea, which collectively form the Ivrea Morainic Amphitheatre.
Following the retreat of the last glaciation (around 9700 BC), the area became rich in numerous moraine lakes, which still surround the town to this day, including Lake Sirio, Lake San Michele (towards Chiaverano), Lake Pistono in Montalto Dora, Lake Nero (between Montalto Dora and Borgofranco), and Lake Campagna in Cascinette. A little farther away, there are also Lake Viverone (on the border with the province of Biella) and Lake Candia (in the lower Canavese area), along with several other small bodies of water scattered around.
A strategic road junction since ancient times, Ivrea provides access to Valchiusella to the west and the Aosta Valley to the north. To the east, roads lead to Vercelli and Milan, while to the northeast, a route connects to Biella, which is only 20 km away in a straight line and 35 km by road.
Ivrea's historic center climbs a hill leading to Ivrea Castle and the cathedral, while the modern part extends across the plain, occupying both banks of the Dora Baltea and the surrounding areas.
Climate The climate is temperate, mild, and relatively humid. Winters are rarely harsh, with an average of 90 nights of frost per year.
According to the Köppen climate classification, Ivrea experiences a mid-latitude humid subtropical climate (Cfa).
The average temperature in January is 1.2 °C, while in July, it reaches 23.1 °C. The average annual precipitation amounts to 982 mm, with May being the wettest month (125 mm) and January the driest, with the least rain/snow (32 mm). This precipitation pattern defines two drier seasons, summer and winter, and two wetter seasons, spring and autumn.
Notably, in recent years, summer temperatures have consistently exceeded 35 °C during the afternoon hours in July.
Demographics The town's population peaked in the 1970s, coinciding with the height of the Olivetti company. As of 2021, Ivrea had a population of 22,604. By 31 December 2020, foreign residents amounted to 2,046 people and made up 8.88% of the population, with the largest communities being from Romania (882 residents) and Morocco (281 residents).
Since the 15th century, Ivrea has also been home to a small yet significant Jewish community. Evidence of its history includes the 19th-century synagogue and the Jewish cemetery.
Main sights
Ivrea Castle (1357), built during the reign of Amadeus VI of Savoy. It has a quadrangular plan in brick with four round towers at the corners. In 1676, a tower, used as an ammunition store, exploded after being struck by lightning. It was never rebuilt. Once a prison, the castle today houses exhibitions. Ivrea Cathedral, which originated from a church built here in the 4th century at the site of a pagan temple. Around AD 1000, it was reconstructed by bishop Warmondus in Romanesque-style: of that edifice the two bell towers, some columns, and the frescoed crypt remain. The latter houses an ancient Roman sarcophagus which according to tradition, preserves the relics of St. Bessus (co-patron of the city together with St. Sabinus). In 1785, it was rebuilt again in a Baroque style. The current neo-classical façade was built in the 19th century. One of the old frescoes of the interior is the A Miracle of the Blessed Pierre de Luxembourg (second half of 15th century). The sacristy has two altarpieces by Defendente Ferrari. The cathedral also houses the tomb of Blessed Thaddeus McCarthy. The Biblioteca Capitolare ("Capitular Library"), near the cathedral, houses an important collection of codices from the 7th–15th centuries. Church and convent of San Bernardino: small Gothic church built by the Minorites starting from 1455. It houses a cycle portraying the Life and Passion of Christ by Giovanni Martino Spanzotti (1480–1490). The Pier Alessandro Garda Civic Museum has some interesting archaeological findings and a collection of Japanese art pieces. It is located on the large Piazza Pietro Ottinetti. The Open Air Museum of Modern Architecture, inaugurated in 2001, is a show of the main edifices (some by leading architects of the time) built by Olivetti from the 1950s onwards. These include the Western Residential Unit, the Eastern Residential Unit and the Olivetti Office Building. The remains of a 1st-century Roman theatre, located west of the city centre. It could hold 10,000 spectators.