Ivrea Castle

Ivrea Castle is a square brick fortress with four cylindrical corner towers rising over the Piazza Castello in the centre of Ivrea, roughly 50 kilometres northeast of Turin. Construction began in 1358 under the Savoy counts — likely commissioned by Amedeo VI — as both a dynastic residence and a strategic checkpoint controlling the Alpine route into the Aosta Valley. During the 19th century, much of the interior was repurposed as a prison, a function that left its mark on the building's fabric long after it ceased. Designated an Italian national monument, the castle's distinctive red-brick silhouette still anchors the town's skyline. The surrounding piazza and exterior grounds are freely accessible, and the towers offer views across Ivrea's rooftops and the rolling Piedmontese hills beyond.