Carnival Moods in Borghetto: A Trip to Ivrea

Whatever time of year you arrive here, you are wrapped in a magical carnival atmosphere; in fact, this is one of those rare places where the topics of conversation in the street or at the bar are not limited to the day's news or football, but take on a fairy-tale charm: people talk about what the Tuchini will do next time, how the Black Panther team is preparing, and what the reply of the Ace of Spades lads will be, considering that neither the Devils nor the Arduini will be standing idly by... These are some of the teams of orange throwers, the absolute protagonists of the Historic Carnival of Ivrea, the only one in Italy to have kept an indissoluble bond with the Middle Ages, since it has been celebrated every year almost without interruption ever since.

Ivrea, until a few years ago famous above all for being the headquarters of Olivetti, does not seem to the tourist an industrial city: whether thanks to the spectacular Ponte Vecchio over the Dora river, the 17th-century heir of the old wooden bridge, which for centuries was the only crossing towards Turin and the southern and western Canavese, or thanks to the historic centre that climbs up a hill leading to the Castle and the Duomo, the city has an undeniable charm that immediately wins over the visitor. Immersed in greenery, a stone's throw from the mountains and surrounded by pretty little lakes that formed at the end of the last prehistoric glaciation, Ivrea is very rich in tourist resources.

Its beauty even enchanted Giosuè Carducci, who wrote these lines: 'Ivrea the fair, which mirrors its red towers dreaming in the blue Dora's broad breast, around it dark is the shadow of King Arduino'. We too visited the Castle of the three towers, which originally had four towers: one collapsed in 1676 after a lightning bolt set off the ammunition stored inside it. Ivrea gave birth to several great figures, starting with San Gaudenzio, patron saint of Novara, and including Camillo Olivetti, founder of the historic company, and his son Adriano, the fiftieth anniversary of whose death falls this very year.

To commemorate the great industrialist, initiatives and events follow one another in the city, such as, for example, the Open World Jazz Festival, whose ninth edition returns from 11 to 18 November with numerous internationally renowned artists, as well as musicians who began their careers in Ivrea itself. To coincide with the festival, a photography exhibition connected to the theme of jazz will be set up at the Ristorante In Borghetto. 'We often host temporary exhibitions in the restaurant's rooms, it's part of the venue's creative image', Mr Federico, the owner, explains as we sit down at the table. For our dinner too we wanted to immerse ourselves in the history of Ivrea, stopping in one of the oldest districts, the Borghetto. Here we are in the kingdom of the Tuchini, the team whose symbol in the battle of the oranges is a likeable crow.

'One of the most important figures of our carnival is the Mugnaia, the young woman who, according to legend, killed the much-hated Marquis of Monferrato, thus sparking the popular uprising and the destruction of the tyrant's manor', Elisa and Carmine, the young manager and sommelier, explain to us. The district is steeped in history, but the venue is new and stands out from classic restaurants with its young, modern style. This philosophy is clearly evident in the menu too: it follows the seasons, with strong links to the local area, but all of this is interpreted with imagination and creativity. We start with some albese with gorgonzola and walnut cream, with crispy porcini sautéed with prawns, and with a vegetarian starter, a filo pastry basket filled with figs and parmesan cream.

We follow these treats with ravioli of salami and potato with julienned cabbage and hazelnut butter, while our friends choose the little lasagna with artichokes and Bra sausage. In choosing the main courses, our group splits between the scorpionfish fillet sautéed with Erbaluce on a bed of couscous and mint, and the underfillet with dried fruit, sesame seeds and Caluso passito. We wash down these delicacies with Piedmontese wines, and to finish on a sweet note we have a walnut cake with vanilla cream and a chestnut and dark chocolate soufflé, while a friend of ours opts for a persimmon semifreddo with its sauce. Before heading home, we note down the calendar of the 'Gourmet Wednesdays' held at In Borghetto.

Among the upcoming events there will be an 'All-Fish' Wednesday, a 'Moroccan Dinner', but also a day devoted to a passion for cheeses, as well as 'Grappeggiando', based on dishes paired with grappa: no doubt about it, we'll really have to come back to Ivrea soon!

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Ristorante In Borghetto Via Gozzano, 12 0125/641611 inborghetto@gmail.com Closed all day Sunday, Monday evening and Saturday lunchtime