Ivrea – a small town in Piedmont, in the past the most import computing center in Italy, today it is looking for an idea to restore prosperity. Usually quite, rather sleepy place, explodes with emotions during the last days of carnival. Every year from Sunday to Fat Tuesday an unique battle of the oranges (battaglia delle arance) takes place.
Yesterday I went to Ivrea to see an amazing Battle of the oranges and a colorful parade – the most attractive part of the Carnival of Ivrea (Storico Carnevale di Ivrea). This unique event will take place till the “Fat Tuesday”. And soon you will find on my blog a review and its history! Below some of pictures for a good start.
Spring, summer, autumn, winter – it doesn’t matter what season we have, the Langhe hills always allure with their curves. This time winter photo review.
Tiny Barbaresco with its characteristic tower.
In Italy the symbol of the Day of the Holy Three Kings is an old lady called la Befana. On the eve of January 6th this characteristic creature on a broomstick, looking more like a witch than a kind grandmother, visits the children to fill their socks with candies (if they had been good) or lump of coal (if they had been bad).
Piedmont is famous not only for beautiful landscapes, fabulous food and great wines, but also for many royal residences left by the Savoy dynasty. The castle of Aglie’, situated in Canavese region, in the north of Piedmont, is an example.
In the north of Piedmont the landscape is delimited by white picks of Alps, the moraine hills variegated by water mirrors. Whereas the south is characteristic by romantic heights that slowly transform into mountains creating a natural border with Liguria and jealously protecting access to the sea. Piedmont is admired by remarkable and diverse landscape and in autumn colorful leaves, vineyards, old castle look amazingly against a background of blue sky. Actually, you can see for yourself! Let’s have a look on the photos below, starting from the north – Canavese region.
Truffles – in some evoke enthusiasm, others can’t understand why people lose their heads for this ugly looking and strange smelling fungus. But one is sure – this is not food for everyone. In this season prices of the precious white variety fluctuated between 4-4,5 € per 1 g, except last two weeks of Fair when the cost was 3,5 €/1 g. Nevertheless, Alba International White Truffle Fair (Fiera Internazionale del Tartufo Bianco d’Alba) proved to be a great success (I’ve read in local newspaper that the Tourist Information Center was visited by 24 424 people which was 6,22% more than last year at the same time).
