What To Do in Ivrea, an Unsung Gem in the North of Italy

“Can you recommend an off-the-beaten-path location in Italy?” is a question I get quite frequently.

TheHidden Italy section in this blog was born precisely as a way to answer that question and shine a light on lesser-known places that, in my opinion, deserve wider recognition. And this is absolutely the case with Ivrea, a quaint little town in northern Piedmont, which I recently visited.

I have to admit that Ivrea has never been on my must-see list. It is quite far from where I live, and I have always associated it with a very extreme Carnival celebration that I was definitely not interested in. Culpably, I never went beyond that and was never interested in knowing if there was something else there.

A view of Ivrea castle

The opportunity to visit Ivrea came with a visit to Masino Castle, which I have documented in another post. My husband and I got a free guided tour of the castle and, since it is just 15 minutes away from Ivrea, we thought it would be nice to visit the town. To be honest, the original plan was to go to Turin and meet with a friend, but she had some problems and our plans changed.

This is all to say that I wasn’t in the least interested in Ivrea. It was my husband who insisted we should go there because it was worth a visit. And I am really happy he insisted, because I got to know a very interesting place, rich in history and full of life. So here are the things I discovered and some inspiration on what to do in Ivrea, if you happen to be there.

The Cathedral

First of all, the famed Carnival. If you speak with people there, they’d tell you that it is the most important event in town. Right after the Christmas holidays, Ivrea starts buzzing with expectation, and the attention of people is geared towards the Battle of Oranges, a three-day event where people on foot fight orange-throwing teams on horse-drawn carts, making it the largest food fight in Italy.

This event is part of the Carnival and is a reenactment of a 12th-century battle, when the people of Ivrea burned down the palace of their tyrant because he attempted to rape a young girl (supposedly the miller’s daughter) before her wedding. There are 13 teams of aranceri (orange-throwers), and the fight lasts three days, leaving the town covered in orange pulp. I have to admit I was very judgmental because of food used as a weapon, but I have learnt that the oranges they use are only those already destined to be thrown away. In this series of amazing pictures, you can get a better idea of the event.

Some stairs leading up to the castle

So watching the battle – from a safe point of view – is definitely something to do in Ivrea. However, if you are scared by violence and are interested in something quieter, I’d recommend taking a stroll down its Medieval alleys and maybe climbing up to the Castle. Built in 1358 on behalf of Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy, to state the dominance of the House of Savoy over the region, it sits on a hill overlooking Ivrea and its beautiful surroundings.

Originally, it had four towers, but one of them was struck by lightning in 1676 and was never rebuilt to its full height. In the 18th century, the castle became a prison and retained this function until 1970 (without major renovations; can you imagine?). Nowadays, there isn’t much of its interiors left, but it is worth visiting to learn more about its history and to enjoy the beautiful views from the upper walkways.

The River Dora Baltea, which runs through Ivrea

Ivrea is famous in Italy for another thing, which is way newer and more modern. Ivrea is the birthplace of Olivetti, a manufacturer of computers and other business products. The company was founded in 1908 by Camillo Olivetti and further developed by his son Adriano. Olivetti was the first Italian manufacturer of typewriters, which became famous all over the world for their innovative design.

Adriano Olivetti was also popular for being the founder of the Community Movement and for trying his best to harmonize industrial development with the assertion of human rights and participatory democracy, both inside and outside the factory. In the 70s, at its height, the company had more than 30,000 employees in Ivrea, and many of the buildings are kept as an industrial testimony. You can visit them by doing a tour of the industrial town.

Cappuccino with a view

If you love food, don’t leave Ivrea without trying its iconic dessert: Torta 900. The cake, whose recipe is still secret, was invented by pastry chef Ottavio Bertinotti to celebrate the turn of the 20th century. Consisting of two thin cocoa sponge cake layers filled with a rich, mousse-like chocolate cream, the cake is now made exclusively at the Pasticceria Balla in Ivrea, a pastry shop that holds the patent for the recipe. 

If this is not enough to convince you to spend some time in Ivrea, let me tell you that its surroundings are worth visiting too. In fact, Ivrea is surrounded by a morainic amphitheater that holds beautiful lakes and a unique scenery. Also, besides Masino, which I mentioned previously, there are beautiful castles like Agliè, Rivara, and Malgràand villages like Castellammonte and Cuorgnè.

This is some inspiration about what to do in Ivrea. Will you add it to your must-see list?