Reopened in 2014 after being closed for 28 years, the P.A. Garda Civic Museum is now a vibrant cultural institution, thoughtfully designed in accordance with contemporary museum practices, where not only the collections themselves but also the exhibition design is intended to inspire and engage visitors.
The history of the museum is also the story of how a personal tragedy can give rise to an enduring act of generosity. Its reopening was made possible by the bequest of Lucia Guelpa to the Municipality of Ivrea. A descendant of a historic family of cabinetmakers and furniture craftsmen from Ivrea, Lucia was the sister of Adele, wife of Abdone Croff, the last member of the Milanese entrepreneurial family of the same name. She lost them both in a road accident in 1946. Having become their sole heir, Lucia decided, at the end of her life in 2003, to leave all her possessions to the Municipality of Ivrea, including the prestigious Croff collection of paintings and a substantial endowment to support a lasting cultural project.
The museum’s rebirth is owed not only to this extraordinary legacy but also to the dedication of individuals such as Emilio Torra, who, during the difficult years of the Second World War, safeguarded its collections from Nazi looting. Their faith in culture and public institutions created a legacy that carries with it a shared responsibility to preserve and pass this heritage on to future generations.
Today, the P.A. Garda Civic Museum is home to three collections, each presented through continually evolving exhibitions.
The archaeological collection traces the history of the city and its surrounding territory from the Neolithic period to the Late Middle Ages. It devotes particular attention to the Roman colony of Eporedia, founded more than two thousand years ago as a military outpost on the left bank of the Dora Baltea. Among its most significant artifacts is the “stele del gromatico” (Surveyor’s Stele), depicting the groma, the surveying instrument used in the centuriation of Roman territory. Equally fascinating are the objects that reveal the everyday life of the ancient inhabitants, domestic and decorative artifacts, together with funerary inscriptions that offer a moving glimpse into the people behind the history.
The Asian Art collection is the result of the pers>objects made of metal, porcelain, lacquer, paper, silk, wood, bamboo, ivory, tortoiseshell, glass, straw and other materials, dating from the Edo and early Meiji periods. Displayed on a rotating basis and carefully lit to ensure their preservation, these remarkable works reveal the extraordinary refinement of Japanese craftsmanship.
The museum also houses the prestigious Croff Collection, featuring works by Giovanni del Biondo, Neri di Bicci, Bergognone, the Carracci, Palizzi, Simi, Annigoni, Xavier Bueno, Antonio Bueno and Giorgio de Chirico. The collection is further enriched by the personal bequest of Lucia Guelpa, which includes paintings dating from the fourteenth to the twentieth century, together with period furniture and antiques.
Perhaps the most fitting description of this remarkable collection comes from Abdone Croff himself: “I am not a buyer of paintings, still less a collector of famous names. The few works I own were acquired with genuine enthusiasm, solely for the pleasure they bring to my eyes.”
Where the quiet inner courtyard of the Convent of the Poor Clares once stood—home to a growing community of nuns from the early fourteenth century onwards, today lies Piero Ottinetti Square.
The Napoleonic era brought this long chapter to an end. Following the suppression of religious orders, the Church and Convent of Santa Chiara became public property in 1802 and were converted into military barracks, a function they retained until the mid-twentieth century.
The square acquired its present appearance in 1844, when the church and the southern section of the convent were demolished. Until 1930, it also served as the city’s grain market, its arcades providing shelter during bad weather. Even today, many residents of Ivrea affectionately refer to it as “Piassa ‘dla granaja” (“Grain Market Square”).
Originally dedicated to King Charles Albert, the square was renamed in 1945 in honour of the partisan Pietro Alfredo Ottinetti. Born in 1914, the son of an Ivrea tinsmith, Ottinetti joined the 76th Garibaldi Brigade under the nom de guerre “Pirata”. Captured by German forces at Lace di Donato on 29 January 1945, he was executed behind the wall of Ivrea Cemetery on 3 February 1945.
Today, the square regularly hosts cultural events, performances, markets and food and wine festivals. Its central role in the daily life of Ivrea, however, is largely thanks to the P.A. Garda Civic Museum and the well-stocked Costantino Nigra Civic Library.
The library, too, has a long history. The first public library in Ivrea dates back to 1806, during the Napoleonic period. Exactly one century later, in 1906, it was dedicated to Costantino Nigra and established in its present location. Today, it is one of Ivrea’s cultural landmarks, reflecting the city’s vibrant intellectual life with a collection of more than 180,000 books and over 75,000 loans each year.
From archaeological treasures to the Croff Collection, enjoy a modern, immersive museum experience in the heart of the city.
