Luoghi

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

One of the most distinctive streets in Ivrea's historic centre, Via Quattro Martiri was, for centuries, the city's Jewish neighborhood. Its elegant synagogue still stands today as a testament to that heritage. At the beginning of the street, in August 1868, another chapter of Ivrea's history began with the birth of a child destined to transform the city's future: Samuel David Camillo Olivetti.

During the Historic Ivrea Carnival, the city becomes a spectacle unlike any other. Beyond the Battle of the Oranges, the celebration is made up of deeply cherished rituals, each with its own special setting: a square, a bridge, a street, a church, a palace or a balcony. The city is transformed into a stage where the community rediscovers its identity and its roots, united by the enduring ideal of Freedom.

The Carri da Getto represent the defence of the Feudal Lord against the popular uprising, embodied by the Aranceri on foot. They are therefore the other indispensable element that allows the Battle of the Oranges to renew its historical and symbolic significance year after year. True communities in their own right, the Carri da Getto devote meticulous attention to every aspect of their participation in the Carnival, down to the smallest detail: from the masks and decorations to the horses' harnesses.

The Carnival in Ivrea is awaited with great anticipation and, in many ways, lasts all year long. Even so, it follows a precise calendar and a ceremonial tradition that is faithfully observed. Epiphany marks the official opening of the celebration with the first appearance of the Pifferi e Tamburi and the investiture of the General. From that moment on, Ivrea embraces the Carnival. Day after day, ritual after ritual, the city comes alive in celebration until Ash Wednesday, when the festivities draw to a close.

There are nine teams of Aranceri on foot who, wearing no protective gear other than the tunic and trousers in their team colours, challenge those aboard the Carri da Getto, giving rise to a duel of profound symbolic significance. Their historic uniforms and banners embody a deep sense of identity and a strong attachment to tradition, values that are deeply rooted in the hearts of all participants.

We must begin in 1194, the year in which a popular uprising freed Ivrea from a tyrant: this is the epic element that would inspire the future Carnival of Ivrea from the fourteenth century onwards, when the first neighbourhood carnivals were celebrated. Eight centuries after the legend of the tyrant slain by Violetta, the Historic Carnival of Ivrea continues to embody the values of Freedom, to pass on its symbolic meaning, and to affirm itself as a civic celebration for all.

The General is one of the most beloved figures of the Historic Ivrea Carnival and serves as the authority in charge of the celebration, wearing a uniform inspired by the Napoleonic era. Having received the office from his predecessor on Epiphany, the General is symbolically invested with full authority by the Mayor of Ivrea on Fat Thursday.

The Battle of the Oranges is the most spectacular event of the Historic Ivrea Carnival, a cultural heritage tradition that ranks the celebration among the most significant Carnival events on the international stage. Nine teams of Aranceri on foot, wearing no protective gear other than their team colours, challenge the Carri da Getto, whose orange throwers are protected by leather masks. The Battle commemorates the popular uprising in which the people of Ivrea rose up against the tyrant and his soldiers.

The Historic Ivrea Carnival has deep medieval roots. Having evolved into a civic celebration during the nineteenth century, it is considered the oldest Carnival in Italy. Five historic figures lie at the heart of the celebration: the Vezzosa Mugnaia, the General, the Deputy Grand Chancellor, the Abbà, and the Podestà.

"Should anyone dare show disrespect to the Mugnaia, that strong yet gracious symbol, all of Ivrea would rise in fury to defend her." The Vezzosa Mugnaia is the most important figure of the Historic Ivrea Carnival. Introduced into the celebration in 1858, she embodies "Violetta", the miller's daughter who defied the tyrant oppressing the people by beheading him, thus sparking the popular uprising.

If the people who work are individuals, and every individual is both body and spirit, then the lunch break cannot simply be time to eat. Nor can the canteen be merely the place where that happens. Hence these remarkable spaces, open to nature, where people can eat, rest, read, play, talk, or simply enjoy a moment of silence. Productivity? It benefits too.

The colors, the stained-glass windows, a certain feminine grace in a building whose purpose would otherwise be purely practical: instead, it becomes, also to the eye, one of the area's vital centers. It is a heating plant that seems to say: there is another kind of energy, no less important than the one it produces, and that energy is beauty.

Homes for workers, homes for office employees, homes for managers, all within the same neighbourhood, rich in greenery and beauty. Here, Olivetti's ideas reach back through history and speak quietly in our ear: "Would you like a little more social harmony? Then don't divide the city by social class. Let their children play together. How? Start with the green spaces."

A building dedicated to craftsmanship that was transformed in the 1950s. Since then, its adjustable sunshades have been reflected in the glass façades of the ICO Workshops, creating a play of reflections that brings the street to life. Architecture, after all, is a long, unending, and never truly finished meditation on light.

An architectural work that never fails to amaze. It embraces seeming contradictions: it is one of Ivrea's defining landmarks, yet it speaks a universal language. Built largely underground, it is filled with light. Born from the bold imagination of its designers, it remains deeply rooted in the surrounding landscape.

In Ivrea, urban planners and architects guided the transition from rural life to the industrial age. As Richard Neutra wrote: “Can we really have two kinds of design: one, devoted to beauty, for our leisure hours; the other, vast in scale and coarse in character, intended solely for practical utility?”

Olivetti's Ivrea is also an archipelago of homes built by the Employee Housing Consultancy Office, led by the visionary architect Emilio Aventino Tarpino. More tradition or more imagination? As Ludovico Quaroni wrote, the Olivetti intellectuals were "committed to building a modern tradition."

Summarizing the history of a company like Olivetti in just a few words is almost impossible. Here, we offer only a brief timeline, spanning from its origins to the death of Adriano Olivetti, the period during which the company was, in essence, entrusted with an unprecedented role.