Olivetti’s History With the Rome of the Alps

Your first stop after having left Turin is Ivrea, a district in the province of Turin founded around the V b.C. and became UNESCO heritage in 2018 as industrial city of the 20th century.
As you arrive you can leave the car alongside the street in the public parking spaces or in the parking lot in piazza Fillak, near the historical center.
Walking in the streets of the center you can admire the Duomo of Santa Maria Assunta, main church of the city, built in the IV a.C. on the ruins of an ancient roman temple.
The cathedral is open everyday from 8 am to 12 pm and from 2 pm to 5.30 pm. and the entrance is free.

This foundation, founded in 1998, continues the work of the Historical Archive Olivetti, that besides collecting, reorganizing and preserving the heritage of the Olivetti's family, is also involved in the activity of promoting it by giving access to researches, exhibitions and cultural events.
The archive is open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 12.30 pm and from 1.30 pm to 5 pm and you can take an appointment on the website.

Second stop on the route is the MAAM, the open air museum of modern architecture. Launched in 2001, it develops on a path of about 2 km that includes the area of Via Jervis and its surroundings and it is the heart of the most important buildings of Olivetti's culture.
To have more information you can check this page where you can find email addresses and phone numbers.

Time to stop for lunch! Just 15 minutes away from the MAAM, there is La Mugnaia, a contemporary and sophisticated location with a seasonal selection of vegetables and aromatic herbs from the garden, and a menu revisited according to the tradition.
The restaurant is open Friday to Sunday from 12 pm to 3 pm and from 7.30 pm to 12 am, while Tuesday to Thursday just for dinner, from 7.30 pm to 12 am. Monday is closed.
To book a table visit their website.

After the lunch break, you can take the car and head towards Aosta, meanwhile stopping by the Verrès Castle.
It is one of the most famous medieval castle of the Aosta valley, built in XIV century as a military fortress and it was the first example of a single-piece architecture, since the castles built until then were made of different parts kept together inside the defensive walls.
It is a severe structure raising on the top of a promontory, which overlooks the district of Verrès.
The opening hours vary according to the seasonal period: October to March from 10 am to 1 pm, and from 2 pm to 5 pm, everyday except Monday. While April to September is open everyday from 9 am to 7 pm. More info here.

Here we are in Aosta, the county seat of the Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley.
Its history is dated back to Roman time, founded around the 25 b.C. with the name of Augusta Praetoria in honor of the emperor Ottaviano Augusto, as the matter of fact it is considered the Rome of the Alps.
Arrived in city, you can park the car and visit the archeological area which is located between the majestic Porta Praetoria - the gateway of the city - and the amphitheater.

The "Roman tour" in the city continues with the Roman Theatre, which extends on the ground in an elliptic shape of 94 x 74 mt.
Today, it remains just eight of the sixty arches from the original structure, that have been integrated into the monastery of San Giuseppe.
The site can be visited everyday according to seasonal hours: October to March from 10 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 5 pm, while April to September from 9 am to 7 pm. Info for guided visits and tickets here.

The bridge was built to allow the passage on the two shores of the torrent Buthier but during the medieval time, consequently to an exceptional flood, the torrent changed its trail and little by little the water under the bridge dried out.
So it was buried due to its structural uselessness and just in recent times it has been bring back to the light.

Continuing the walk around the roman ruins in Aosta, you will encounter the Arch of Augustus. It was built to celebrate the victory of Romans on Salassi and it is composed by just one fornix, with an height of 11,40 mt.
During the XII century it was the home of an aristocrat family who built a fortification inside to hosts the crossbowmen.

Ready for a real Velle d'Aosta experience? Because for dinner you will taste the flavors of the very local home-made tradition.
You will be welcomed by cowbells hung to the walls and a lot of charcuterie, steaks and fondue.
The place is open everyday from 12 pm to 2,30 pm and from 7,30 pm to 10 pm, except for Saturday and Sunday, that the timetable is extended to 10,30 pm.
You can check out their facebook page and make a reservation.

The experience continues with the location for the night. The family run hotel La Moraine Enchantée was renovated from an ancient local building of the XVII century, called Rascard, a little chalet designated to host a family business with the stable, the barn, the cellar, the cheese grave and the house.
Entirely built with wood and stones, the structure has been refurbished keeping all the original materials by respecting the local environment and tradition.
You will have also a free private parking space, a free shuttle service, a garden and a terrace.