Ivrea Castle ( it, Castello d'Ivrea) is a castle located at Piazza Castello in
Ivrea, Italy.
History
It was built in 1358 on behalf of
Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy
Amadeus VI (4 January 1334 – 1 March 1383), nicknamed the Green Count ( it, Il Conte Verde) was Count of Savoy from 1343 to 1383. He was the eldest son of Aymon, Count of Savoy, and Yolande Palaeologina of Montferrat. Though he started unde ...
to signify the dominance of the
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...
over the region.
In 1676, the northwestern tower, which served as
powder magazine Powder Magazine, Powder House, or Powderworks may refer to:
*Powder tower or powder house, a building used to store gunpowder or explosives; common until the 20th century
*Gunpowder magazine, a building designed to store gunpowder in wooden barrels ...
, was struck by a
lightning. The resulting explosion caused 51 deads, 187 damaged houses and the collapse of the tower itself. The tower has never been rebuilt to its full height.
In the 18th century, the castle was converted into a prison, at the beginning destined to State prisoners only, and later also to common prisoners. It retained this function until 1970.
Description
The castle has four towers erected on a plan flank. It is located next to a cathedral and a bishop's palace. The castle is mentioned in the work of
Giosuè Carducci.
Gallery
File:Castello di Iurea (BM 1946,0219.8).jpg
File:Castello Ivrea-1.jpg
File:Ivrea Castello Bifora 02.JPG
References
External links
Archeocarta File on the Castle€”
Castles in Piedmont
Buildings and structures in Ivrea
{{Italy-castle-stub