The city of Ivrea, its Castle of Red Towers, a unique carnival battle of the oranges and a twentieth-century Italian utopia – the company of
Olivetti. Visit to the Castle of Allier, residence of the Savoy dynasty and the setting of the TV series “Elisa of Rivombrosa”.
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Ivrea is a small Italian town with a population of 23,000. It is located on the border of two regions, Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta.
It is a small and cozy town. You will find a classic red-brick castle, a cathedral in classical style and a pleasant promenade along the Dora Baltea river, which divides the town into old and new parts.
But once a year Ivrea gets flooded with tourists. This is due to the fact that on the eve of Lent, instead of the Catholic Carnival, the Battle of the Oranges takes place here. В
Ivrea from Sicily is specially imported every year 200-300 tons of oranges, which are used as snowballs in winter. This orange mood attracts tourists magnetically.
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The Cathedral of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary in Ivrea – is interesting because IV century AD on its place was a pagan temple. In the 9th century it was rebuilt into a Christian cathedral in Romanesque style.
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The castle of Ivrea is Castello dalle rossi torri, i.e. the Castle of the Red Towers. It is located a stone’s throw from the Duomo. The castle was built in 1357 by Amadeus VI of Green, Count of Savoy. Originally the castle had four towers, but only three have survived to this day. It turns out that in 1676 lightning struck the tower that has not survived. Unfortunately, it was a gunpowder storehouse, which led to an explosion. The tower was never rebuilt.
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The tower of St. Stephen is interesting because in the IV century AD there was a pagan temple on its place. In the IX century it was rebuilt into a Christian cathedral in Romanesque style. In 1854 it had its facade rebuilt in neoclassical style.
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Alle is a small town located 35 km north of Turin. The main attraction of Alle is the ancient castle Castello Ducale, once one of the residences of the royal Savoy dynasty. Along with other
royal residences, the castle is listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Castello Ducale was built in the 12th century and was originally the property of the Counts of San Martino. In 1706, the structure was ravaged and partially destroyed during the French invasion of Piedmont. Half a century later it was bought by Charles Emmanuel III of Savoy, then sold to his son Benedetto, who in turn restored it. It took ten years for the castle to shine again. Today the castle attracts attention with its monumental facade with two staircases and a fountain. Inside there are 300 rooms, most of which, however, have not retained their original royal interiors. The castle is surrounded by huge English and Italian gardens.
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The castle is open all days except Mondays, December 24-25, January 1, and May 1
