Ivrea

Ivrea was founded in BC 100 by the Romans on a settlement of a previous era: the name Eporedia deriving from epo (horse) and reda (cart) stressed the link of the ancient city with horses, still very much present and celebrated in the Festival of the Patron Saint San Savino.

There are two main areas of Ivrea: the Ancient City and the Industrial City. The itinerary for the Ancient City - to cross on foot, walking along the alleys and streets of the centre - traces its Roman and medieval history in its monuments: the Castle, built in 1358 by the Count Amedeo VI of Savoy, known as the Conte Verde, retains the appearance of a dominant fort from its high position; the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, built in the 10th century by Bishop Warmondo Arborio to establish his supremacy over his opponent, the Marquis Arduino, has steeples, a Romanesque ambulatory and crypt, baroque vaults and dome, and a neoclassical facade; outside the apse of the Cathedral there are the remains of the Cloister of the Chapter of Canons with columns in Romanesque style; on the Bishop’s Palace, former residence of Warmondo, stands the medieval Bishop’s Tower with significant friezes and dovetail battlements; the Palazzo della Credenza was the ancient seat of the Municipality; the Romanesque Tower of Santo Stefano is what is left of an 11th century Benedictine abbey complex; Ponte Vecchio, for centuries the only bridge over the Dora Baltea River, is of Roman origin and, at one time, was entirely of stone; the Borghetto is a small urban area the other side of Ponte Vecchio; also worth visiting is the precious but little known 18th century Church of San Gaudenzio, not far away.