Caravino

In Caravino, however, it is the Middle Ages that has left its mark the most. And this is clearly seen from Masino Castle, in the hamlet of the same name. Nestled in a splendid and well-kept park, above a moraine hill in the center of the Ivrea plain, from which the entire surrounding landscape can be admired, this place was for ten centuries the residence of the noble family of the Counts Valperga of Masino. Built in the 11th century, during the Renaissance it lost its high walls and watchtowers to make way for sumptuous gardens. Then in the 16th century it was even destroyed and rebuilt by the French, with the appearance we can more or less admire today. If on the outside what is striking is the great hedge maze, the second most important in Italy, on the inside the refined frescoes and some grand trompe l'oeil leave one breathless. Incidentally, the interiors remain furnished as they were in 1988, when the last resident left the manor to FAI.

Masino Castle is not the only castle in Canavese. The whole area, in fact, is dotted with many castles, which tell of a past of uprisings and local wars, but which today are museum sites, tourist sites or headquarters of municipal administrations. Among the twenty-three buildings classified in the Canavese Castles network, the three most important are those of Agliè, Ivrea and, indeed, Masino.

The Ducal Castle of Agliè is recognizable by its large monumental facade. Although in fact it was originally a classic medieval manor, provided with walls and moat, during the seventeenth century it began a process of redevelopment that transformed its appearance into that of a sumptuous residence. Only during the nineteenth century, however, when it came under the control of the House of Savoy, did the castle assume the imposing appearance we can admire today. And, also during this era, the romantic garden with the large lake and islands arose. Its splendor is so great that it was used as a set for some scenes in the famous TV drama "Elisa di Rivombrosa."

Ivrea Castle, on the other hand, still retains the original severe medieval layout from the 14th century, with its crenellated towers and quadrangular plan. The main tower, however, was partially severed in 1676, when lightning struck an ammunition depot that had been set up inside it; the explosion was so strong that it also destroyed many houses that had been built against the castle. A curiosity: for almost three centuries, until 1970, this castle was used as a prison.

A word of advice: if you go to Ivrea to visit the castle, however, take advantage of visiting its historic center as well. Bathed by the Dora Baltea River, it spreads out on a hill where, in addition to the castle, there is also the cathedral, probably built on an ancient temple from the first century BC. A gem of Ivrea's center, moreover, is the Giuseppe Boaro cinema, one of the first Italian cinemas, built in Art Nouveau style in 1910.

There are a number of cycling routes that combine cycling activity with discovering the castles of Canavese and the landscape of the area, characterized by hills, vineyards and forests. For example, theRoppolo to Masino loop, a mountain bike ride that winds through the moraine hills connecting the castles of the two towns, or theMazzè loop, which touches Lake Candia and Masino Castle, winding through forests and hills. Alternatively, you can ride the Canavesana, the route of the vintage racing bike re-enactment that was done before 1987, in a loop along the so-called unpaved "carriage road."

The municipality of Caravino falls within a special area: that of the Ivrea moraine amphitheater. This is a series of semicircular reliefs, arranged in concentric arcs, formed in the Pleistocene by the transport of debris by a glacier, which later retreated. It is one of the best defined and best preserved moraine amphitheaters in the world. TheAlta Via dell'Anfiteatro Morenico traces precisely these formations, crossing a landscape of great naturalistic value. It is a long route, to be done in stages, of about one hundred and ten kilometers, which can be covered on foot, by mountain bike or by gravel bike.

In detail, of the five stages included in the itinerary, it is the second and third that involve the municipality of Caravino: that is, the one that leads from Lake Bertignano to Masino Castle, which offers views of great beauty, and the one that leads from Masino Castle to Castellazzo. The latter, by the way, is the area of the DOCG Erbaluce di Caluso; so if you want to make a stop, you know how you can refresh yourself!

For trail running enthusiasts, the municipality of Caravino is affected by the 119-km-long Morenic Trail race, which runs in its entirety through the Ivrea Morainic Amphitheater, in a continuous up and down.