To discover Ivrea on foot, there is no better place to begin than Via Palestro, which — together with its continuation, Via Arduino — runs through the entire historic centre of the city.
The reasons for its central importance run deep. Via Palestro and Via Arduino follow the route of the decumanus maximus of ancient Eporedia, as confirmed by archaeologists: the original Roman road still lies approximately three metres beneath the present-day streets. The decumanus connected two city gates, the Porta Praetoria to the east (today’s Porta Vercelli) and the Decumana to the west (today’s Piazza Gioberti, also known as “Piazza Maretta”). The cardo maximus — the main north–south street that intersected the decumanus at right angles to form the characteristic Roman urban grid—descended from what is now Via Quattro Martiri and continued towards the river along today’s Vicolo del Leon d’Oro. Although the city’s layout has changed dramatically over the centuries, making its importance less immediately apparent, it is worth remembering that this was once the Roman road leading to Gaul.
But when, and why, was Eporedia founded? The area formed part of a vast territory inhabited by the Salassi, a Celtic population who settled in the Canavese region and throughout what is now the Aosta Valley around the fifth century BC. Their history changed with the arrival of the Romans. After suffering an unexpected defeat in 143 BC, the Roman consul Appius Claudius Pulcher eventually succeeded in overcoming the Salassi.
The Salassi nevertheless remained a significant threat. After consulting the Sibylline Books, the Roman authorities decided to establish a military colony in the area, most likely on the site of an existing Salassi settlement. The chosen location occupied elevated ground from which the narrowest stretch of the Dora Baltea could be controlled. Thus, in 100 BC, the colony of Eporedia was founded.
Its name most likely derives from the Celtic words epo (horse) and reda (four-wheeled chariot), suggesting that the settlement already served as an important stopping place along the route to Gaul. Over the centuries, the name gradually evolved from Eporedia to Iporeia, then Ivreia, and finally to the modern name, Ivrea.
Walking along Via Palestro is a journey through two millennia of history, even if many traces of the past have disappeared, been demolished or lie buried beneath the modern city. Such is the fate of places that have remained important throughout the centuries and have continually transformed in order to thrive. While the street follows the route of the Roman city, many of the buildings that line it date back to the Middle Ages, when it was known as Magna Burgi. Before reaching “Piazza di Città”, framed by elegant late eighteenth-century buildings (including the Town Hall) the route passes Ottinetti square, home to the “P.A. Garda” Civic Museum, whose archaeological collections tell the story of Ivrea’s earliest history. The museum itself occupies a former military barracks built on the site of the medieval Monastery of Santa Chiara. Further along stands the medieval Church of Sant’Ulderico, traditionally believed to have been founded following a miraculous event.
The street also features Baroque and Neoclassical architecture, alongside notable nineteenth-century additions, including the traditional Italian-style Giuseppe Giacosa Theatre, one of the city’s architectural gems located just a few steps away. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Via Palestro bore another name: Rue de Marengo. The inscription is still visible today at No. 35, near the former Stragiotti Pharmacy, commemorating Napoleon’s victory over the Austrian Imperial Army on 14 June 1800. From 1800 to 1814, Ivrea became part of Napoleonic France and was officially known as Ivrée, as the French administration introduced not only its legal system and calendar but also its official language.
Beyond its history, Via Palestro offers the simple pleasures that give a city its character: the reflections of shop signs shimmering on rain-soaked porphyry paving at dusk, the lively conversations spilling out from cafés, and the Carnival flags that brighten the street each year. Those who look closely will discover countless small details, a noble family’s coat of arms, elegant terracotta ornamentation, or a beautifully crafted wrought-iron balcony. Every corner tells stories of families, businesses, workshops, bakeries, hotels and restaurants, some of which now survive only in local memory, such as the Tre Zecchini d’Oro, whose premises are now occupied by a bookshop.
The street also preserves fine examples of early twentieth-century elegance, including shopfronts framed in cast iron or enamelled metal, characteristic of the period. Particularly noteworthy is the Cinema Splendor-Boaro, whose sign, supported by sculpted caryatids, has been faithfully recreated from the original dating to 1910. It bears a remarkable tribute to its founder, Giuseppe Boaro of Ivrea: “The first in Italy to present cinematography, microphotography and X-ray exhibitions in the country’s principal theaters and at the Royal Theatre in 1897.”
Together, these streets form a short yet extraordinarily rich itinerary through which the city of Ivrea willingly shares its history with every visitor.
