keyitaly.com’s blog

Ivrea has a fine, brick-built castle dating from 1357. Once a gaol it is now used for exhibitions. There is the Cathedral (originally a fourth century structure over a pagan temple, and rebuilt around the year 1000AD in the Romanesque style. It houses an ancient Roman sarcophagus with the remains of St Bessus (co-patron of the city with St Savinus). A newer part of the Cathedral, in Baroque style, was built in 1785, and the neo-classical facade is from the 19th century. See too the Biblioteca Capitolare, with an important collection of codexes from the seventh to 15th century. There are important churches, including Gothic San Bernardino and the Open Air Museum of Modern Architecture, opened in 2001. The remains of a Roman theatre from the first century can be seen west of the city centre, while the Old Bridge (or Ponte Vecchio) dates from 100AD - though it was rebuilt in stone in 1716. Other cultural highlights include the 18th century Town Hall and the 11th century St. Stephen Tower. But perhaps Ivrea is best known to visitors for the remarkable ‘Battle of the Oranges’, the town carnival which leads up to Lent. It involves thousands of the townspeople, divided into nine competing teams, who throw oranges at each other … with considerable force. It ends the night of Mardi Gras with a solemn funeral.