| Canavese | |
 | |
| State |  Italy |
|---|---|
| Region | Piedmont |
| Capital | Ivrea |
| Surface | 2,047.61 km² |
| Inhabitants | 335.367 (2009) |
| Tourism site | |
Canavese is a historical territory ofPiedmontese Alps, in the province of Turin, facing the France and the Valle d'Aosta.
To know
The Canavese is a vast territory that ranges from the plain, on the banks of the Po river, to the rugged mountains of Orco Valley passing through the rolling hills of Ivrea. In this territory, so varied in its landscapes, there are villages, lakes, vineyards and castles steeped in the history of this rich region. Gran Paradiso National Park and the city of Ivrea.
Geographical notes
The territory, crossed by the rivers Dora Baltea, Chiusella, Soana, Orco and Malone, is dominated by the morainic Amphitheater of Ivrea and by the massif of Gran Paradiso, which surround the large flat area around Chivasso. Numerous glacial lakes, among which the one stands out of Candia Canavese and that by Viverone on the eastern border with the Biellese.
The historical "capital" of the Canavese area is the city of Ivrea, a city of Celtic origin that became a Roman Municipium in the 1st century BC, keeping the name of Eporedia, hence the Ivreaian term with which its inhabitants are defined. Despite this, the Canavese toponym derives from the ancient town of Cuorgnè, Canava, located on the banks of the Orco stream or, more likely, on the slopes of Mount Quinzèina, where the town of Nava still stands today. According to some, it could instead be linked to the ancient cultivation of hemp in the area. The inhabitants of the region are called Canavesani.
When to go
The Canavese can be visited in all seasons. In winter for skiing, alpine or Nordic, and for gastronomy. From February, hiking in the hills and mountains begins. Furthermore, in any season it is possible to visit the rich cultural and naturalistic heritage, spread throughout the area.
Background
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The human population consolidated during the Bronze Age; Among the finds dating back to this period, particularly well preserved are those found near lake basins that still exist or that over time have turned into peat bogs. For example, the research carried out on the pile-dwelling villages of Viverone and Bertignano, where some pirogues were also found, are of considerable importance.
In pre-Roman times the Canavese was inhabited by the Salassi, a people of Celtic origin. The first clash with Rome dates back to 143 BC, when the Salassi resisted the troops of the consul Appio Claudio Pulcro. In the following forty years there were no noteworthy battles, but the economic penetration of Rome certainly continued, which allowed the Senate to found in 100 BC. the Roman colony of Eporedia (today's Ivrea) on a pre-existing fortified village of the Salassi.
Between 400 and 410 we witnessed the invasions of the Visigoths, the Ostrogoths and the imperial armies in struggle. The Canavese was part of a Lombard duchy and a Frankish county (towards the end of the 8th century AD) and acquired considerable importance under Arduino, king of Italy between the year 1000 and 1015.
In the fourteenth century the region was the scene of the revolts of the Tuchini, the inhabitants of the small rural municipalities who rebelled against the excessive power of the feudal lords.
In the Late Middle Ages the territory was fragmented between the domination of the Bishops of Ivrea, the Marquises of Monferrato, the Princes of Acaia and the Savoy; the latter acquired the dominion from the fourteenth century.
In the period that marks the transition between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the Canavese area experienced a moderate economic growth, also thanks to the relative political stability ensured by the Savoy state; among the various works carried out at the time, the numerous castles and monasteries built starting from the fifteenth century, and the Naviglio di Ivrea, whose construction as a navigable canal was started by Amedeo VIII on a design by Leonardo da Vinci with the aim of connecting the city of Ivrea to that of Vercelli.
Towards the end of the eighteenth century the French invaded the Canavese area and imposed the new laws and Jacobin customs of the revolution; on April 16, 1814 the Savoy family returned. In the 19th century, new industries developed and crafts and agriculture flourished again, leaving indelible traces on the landscape of the region. The Canavese area was then affected, especially starting after the Second World War, by a widespread growth of buildings, especially in flat areas, and by the construction of various infrastructures including the Turin-Aosta motorway and the A4 / A5 - Ivrea branch- Santhià, or the so-called Suspender.
Spoken languages
In addition to Italian, the use of the Piedmontese language is widespread, in the Canavese dialect version. In the mountain valleys, dialects belonging to the Franco-Provençal linguistic area are also spoken.
Territories and tourist destinations
Canavese: full screen map.The Canavese is administratively divided into more than one hundred municipalities, some with a very small population.
Geographically it is divided into:
- Eporediese
- Ivrea and surroundings
- Dora Baltea Canavesana
- Morainic amphitheater of Ivrea
- Alto Canavese
- Chiusella Valley
- Cuorgné and surroundings
- Orco Valley
- Soana Valley
- Valley from the Malone
- Lower Canavese
Urban centers
The main locations are:
- 1 Agliè - Medieval village characterized by the Ducal Castle and its large park built in 1642 by Count Filippo di Agliè. In the eighteenth century it became the summer residence of the Savoy and is now counted among the world heritage ofUNESCO.
- 2 Castellamonte - The village stands on the banks of the Orco and preserves important Romanesque testimonies such as the bell tower or the ruins of the castle. The town is known for the production of ceramic stoves and in the square there is the Monument to the stove by Ugo Nespolo.
- 3 Ceresole Reale - Located in the upper Orco valley, the small town is part of the Gran Paradiso National Park and rises on the banks of a small artificial lake. Once a hunting base for King Vittorio Emanuele II, today it is a renowned winter and summer resort.
- 4 Chivasso - An important city, which has always been a fundamental hub for connections throughout Piedmont, it has a refined historic center with elegant arcades and numerous shops and pastry shops. The center is dominated by the large octagonal tower and the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta with its narrow facade. Also worth seeing is the grandiose work of taking the waters of the Po, at the mouth of the Cavour canal.
- 5 Cirié - A small town of Roman origin which still has some buildings from that period inside. Of interest is undoubtedly the Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista, in Gothic style, declared a national monument. Not far from the center is the chapel of Santa Maria di Spinerano dating back to the year 1000 decorated with precious frescoes.
- 6 Cuorgnè - It is a village of medieval origin in which the House of King Arduino and the cylindrical Torre Carlevato. The two banks of the Orco stream are connected by an ancient stone bridge with four arches.
- 7 Ivrea - Enclosed by the amphitheater moraine which opens from the Valle d'Aosta, Ivrea represents the capital and the heart of the Canavese area. Its medieval historic center, dominated by the castle of the "red towers" and the Cathedral of Santa Maria, becomes the scene of exciting re-enactments such as the famous carnival with the battle of the oranges. Not least is the industrial tradition that saw it as the leader in the Italian industrial revolution, so much so that the industrial city of the twentieth century has been declared a heritage ofUNESCO.
- 8 Noasca - It is a small inhabited nucleus in the high Valle dell'Orco. There is the visitor center of the Gran Paradiso National Park. Just above the village, in the woods, is the Noaschetta waterfall.
- 9 - The town is known for the Castle of Malgrà, with precious fifteenth-century frescoes. Also worthy of a visit is the eighteenth-century church of San Michele built by Bernardo Antonio Vittone
- 10 Traversella - Small town in Valchiusella which still retains the original architecture. The iron and diorite ecomuseum collects evidence of the town's mining past.
Other destinations
- 1 Candia Lake - Small lake declared a provincial park. It is one of the Piedmontese wetlands with the greatest biodiversity. It is a destination for cyclists and joggers.
- 2 Viverone Lake - It is the largest lake in the Canavese area and traces of pile-dwelling settlements have been found there. On its banks there are characteristic lakeside villages such as Roppolo is Viverone with several bathing facilities.
- 3 Gran Paradiso National Park - It is the first national park to have been established (in 1922) and is one of the wildest. Once it was the hunting reserve of the House of Savoy, now it is a favorite destination for hikers and skiers.
- Val Soana
- Valchiusella
- Orco Valley
How to get
By plane
Turin Caselle Airport, then take Ferrovia Torino-Aeroporto-Ceres line A, then bus GTT up to the Porta Nuova railway station and finally use line 1 of the Metropolitan Railway Service which leads to Pont Canavese.
By car
The Canavese can be reached:
- From Milan and from Venice through the A4 Turin-Trieste motorway up to Santhià, then the A4 / A5 junction to Ivrea.
- From Turin and from Aosta through the A5 Turin-Aosta motorway.
On the train
From Turin, you can take the train of the SFM Turin / Chivasso-Aosta line.
By bus
The bus lines of the Torinese Traporti Group connect Turin and the Canavese municipalities (timetables on the website GTT).
How to get around
What see
Connection area between the territories of Turin and Aosta, it preserves many historical, artistic and cultural testimonies. The contribution made by those who passed has often grafted with native traditions, determining the richness of the local historical-artistic heritage, which ranges from art of international significance to strongly rooted in the territory.
- 1 Masino Castle, @[email protected]. Stately mansion of medieval origin, today it is one of the best preserved in all of Piedmont. It was elegantly renovated in the mid-sixteenth century and today it preserves splendid frescoes and rich ballrooms. An important flower show is held in the large castle park in May.
- MaAM (Open air museum of modern architecture), Via Piave, 10, Ivrea, ☎ 39 0125410311. It was inaugurated in 2001 with the aim of enhancing the "cultural legacy" of Olivetti, which has distinguished itself since the 1950s for its avant-garde projects in the field of urban planning and industrial and civil architecture. The buildings collected by the MAAM are: Palazzo Uffici 1 and 2 (Olivetti headquarters), the ICO workshops and thermal power plant, the nursery school, the canteen, the study center, the Crist residential district, the West Residential Unit, called popularly Talponia (consisting of a complex with an underground arch on one side and windows opening onto the hill on the other) and numerous other homes for employees and managers.
- The house of King Arduino.
- 2 Temple of Humanity (to Vidracco). It is a large underground construction carved by hand into the rock that entered the Guinness Book of Records as the largest underground temple in the world. The building is divided into seven main rooms. They symbolically represent the inner rooms of every human being; just as walking through the halls and corridors that compose it metaphorically corresponds, in the intentions of the builders, to a profound journey within oneself.
What to do
- Mountain hiking. The Canavese offers hikers of all backgrounds a vast range of itineraries that cross the length and breadth of the natural beauties of the area.
- Ski. The Orco Valley has some ski resorts
- Extreme sports. Extreme sports with a high degree of individual danger, such as climbing ice falls for example in the Novalesa area. Canyoning is practiced here in summer.
Tourist infrastructure
Few Hotels and Bed and Breakfasts, concentrated in Ivrea, on the Viverone Lake and in the Orco, Soana and Chiusella Valleys. As for the quality of the offer, professionalism and friendliness range from excellent to bad. Not recommended to choose at random, it is very advisable to check through the agency Tourism Turin or through direct acquaintances.
