Ivrea

Ivrea (Italian: [iˈvrɛːa]; Piedmontese: Ivrèja [iˈʋrɛja]; French: Ivrée; Latin: Eporedia) is a town and comune of the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. Situated on the road leading to the Aosta Valley (part of the medieval Via Francigena), it straddles the Dora Baltea and is regarded as the capital of the Canavese area.

Founded by the Romans under the name "Eporedia," the town became the center of the March of Ivrea during the Middle Ages and briefly served as the capital of the Kingdom of Italy in the 11th century. It later became part of the possessions of the House of Savoy. In the 20th century, Ivrea gained international recognition as the headquarters of the Olivetti company, a pioneer in technological innovation, known for creating some of the first computers. Thanks to Olivetti, the town also became a center of architectural innovation, with the construction of several modernist buildings that reflected the era's progressive spirit. On July 1, 2018, the site which is known as "Industrial City of the 20th Century" was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The town is well known for the Ivrea Carnival, which features the famous Orange Battle as its main event, as well as for its ancient and modern architecture, including landmarks such as Ivrea Castle, Ivrea Cathedral and the Olivetti complex. It is also a growing hub for sports, particularly canoeing and kayaking, having hosted several international competitions.

The Latin name of the city was Eporedia, likely of Celtic origin. The toponym may derive from the Celtic deity Epona, specifically from the contraction of the Gaulish terms epo (related to the Ancient Greek hippos, meaning "horse") and reda ("four-wheeled cart"). This suggests that Ivrea was already a strategic road station for horse-drawn carriages accessing the Cisalpine region. Over time, the name evolved through various forms, including Yporegia, Iporeia, Ivreia, and eventually Ivrea.

Ivrea and its surroundings have been inhabited since the Neolithic era; the Celts are believed to have had a village in Ivrea from around the 5th century BC. However, the town first officially appears in history as an outpost of the Roman Republic founded in 100 BC, probably built to guard one of the traditional invasion routes into northern Italy over the Alps. Its Latin name was Eporedia.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Ivrea became the seat of a duchy under the Lombards (6th-8th centuries). Under the Franks (9th century), Ivrea was a county capital. In the year 1001, after a period of disputes with bishop Warmund, ruler of the city, Arduin conquered the March of Ivrea. Later he became King of Italy and began a dynasty that lasted until the 11th century, when the city fell again under the bishops' sovereignty.

In the 12th century, Ivrea became a free comune, but succumbed in the first decades of the following century to the rule of Emperor Frederick II. Later, Ivrea was disputed between the bishops, the marquisate of Monferrato and the House of Savoy.

In 1356, Ivrea was acquired by Amadeus VI of Savoy. With the exception of the brief French conquest at the end of the 16th century, Ivrea remained under the House of Savoy until 1800. It was a subsidiary title of the king of Sardinia, although the only Marquis of Ivrea was Benedetto of Savoy (who later fought in the French Revolutionary wars). On May 26, 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte entered the city along with his victorious troops, establishing control that ended in 1814 after his fall.