Dora Baltea
Ivrea is a river city, and it owes the Dora Baltea a great deal: its very founding, a significant part of its economic vitality across the centuries, and, not least, many of the compliments it receives every day from those who discover, or rediscover, its beauty.
Canoe Stadium
The Canoe Stadium is one of Ivrea’s proudest achievements, placing the city in the international spotlight: both for the quality of the sporting facility itself, and for the fact that it sits right in the heart of the city — something entirely unique. From here, too, the “città turrita” can be admired in all its beauty.
Naviglio di Ivrea
The deep, inextricable bond between the city and water is also borne out by one of the region’s most important hydraulic works: the Naviglio di Ivrea. It runs for some 75 kilometres from Ivrea to Vercelli, and is one of the most significant legacies of medieval Ivrea. A waterway that, albeit tangentially, has brushed against the names of two rather resounding figures in history: Leonardo da Vinci and Napoleon Bonaparte.
“Natale Capellaro” Footbridge
This elegant structure, long dreamed of since the last century, is a footbridge where you do not simply pass through: you stop, and take in Ivrea at its most characteristic — its setting. Draped along the Dora, at the point where the lines of the mountains and the Anfiteatro Morenico converge, the city reveals itself in all its grace.
Lakes
This landscape was shaped by the great Balteo Glacier, which over the course of the last ice ages carved out the deep basins now occupied by Lake Sirio, San Michele, Pistono, Campagna and Nero. Lake Sirio in particular — framed by moraine hills, by the Castello di Montalto, and by the small settlements reflected in its waters — remains a much-loved destination, especially among the young.
Palazzo Giusiana
There are certain buildings without which a city would lose part of its identity. Palazzo Giusiana is one of them, standing at the heart of Ivrea’s historic centre for more than four centuries. As early as 1635, Monsignor Della Chiesa described it as “the most beautiful and magnificent palace in Piedmont beyond the Dora.”
Giuseppe Giacosa Civic Theatre
A traditional Italian-style theatre that stands as one of the city’s proudest landmarks, it is the kind of place that invites you to lower your voice the moment you step inside. Named after Giuseppe Giacosa, the celebrated librettist of Giacomo Puccini, it also reflects his spirit: deeply rooted in its local heritage, yet with branches reaching out to the world.
Church of Saint Gaudentius
A man, destined to become a saint, is fleeing for his life. He sits on a rock. Miraculously, the rock molds itself to the shape of his body, becoming a comfortable resting place. More than a thousand years later, a church will be built on the site of this miracle. Its magnificent decorative paintings, created by a great master, will transform it into one of the jewels of the Piedmontese Baroque.
Church of Saint Martha
Founded in the 15th century by the Confraternity of Saint Martha, the church later took on the elegant forms of the Baroque. Today, it is no longer a place of worship but a place of culture: an open space for the community, hosting exhibitions and conferences, and a landmark for the people of Ivrea, who move through it with the familiarity of being at home.
Church of San Nicola da Tolentino
The story of one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in the Canavese region begins with a medieval friar from Cremona and an ancient confraternity of Ivrea devoted to a saint from the Marche. It also includes a miraculous event: in 1704, during the French siege of the city, a bomb pierced the church roof but failed to explode. A masterpiece of local art with a truly universal story.
Vincenzo Gioberti Square
The heart of the San Domenico district, known to every resident simply as “Piazza Maretta” (Maretta Square), this square is both distinctive and deeply rooted in local life. More than a place to visit, it is a place to understand, to discover and to experience. Its sloping layout has changed little over time, and neither have the traditions that continue to define it.
Church of Santa Croce
A confraternity won the people’s hearts during the tragedy of the plague, and the community helped it build this church. Everyone calls it the “gesia dle cadene”, the “Church of the Chains”, after the chains that mark its entrance, yet its interior is filled with Baroque grace. The theatrical paintings by Luca Rossetti of Orta bring together a sense of wonder and quiet contemplation.