IN CANAVESE NATURE IS THE PROTAGONIST, ALWAYS

together for millennia

In Canavese, nature has always taken center stage. Therefore throughout the centuries, humans have done nothing but follow its lead—making use of its resources without ever smothering it. As a result, mountains and waterways, villages and industries, hills and cities, lakes and plains all coexist in harmony.

No matter which direction you come from, from April to October there’s only one color that fills your eyes and your heart: green! The green of meadows, the green of hills, the green of vineyards, the green of forested mountains. The second is blue, in all its shades—from the light blue of the sky to the deep blue of the lakes.

Our advice is to explore the vast and diverse protected areas—every corner holds a surprise.

Begin your journey

It’s the first national park in Italy, whose southern slope lies entirely within the Canavese area. With kilometers of trails that follow the Royal Hunting Roads once used by King Vittorio Emanuele II, it is a hiker’s paradise.

In fact Ibex, chamois, marmots and golden eagles live here in freedom, easily spotted and photographed with the cooperation of park rangers and the many licensed hiking guides.

Nature and humans have entered into a true symbiosis—so much so that even the use of resources for hydroelectric power has given rise to new scenic views and ecosystems that are now widely recognized, such as the breathtaking sight of the Agnel and Serrù lakes from the Nivolet Pass.

Moreover you will find waterfalls, rugged rock faces, and tiny hamlets—alongside larger villages that are destinations for sustainable tourism, such as Ceresole Reale, Noasca, Locana, Ronco, Valprato, and Ingria, the latter recently joining the ranks of Italy’s Most Beautiful Villages.

The Land of Lakes

As we move down into the valley, the landscape changes, and it is the lakes that offer precious natural spectacles. A protected area since 1985, it includes the glacial-origin lake basin and the surrounding coastal zones.

It lies along the routes of migratory birds, so much so that a bird ringing station monitors their movements.

It is a delicate ecosystem, with a very slow water turnover. It offers stunning views, especially at sunset, with a painter’s palette of colors that can be fully enjoyed from the electric boat operated by the biologists of Vivere i Parchi. In their well-equipped laboratories, they also offer a variety of environmental education activities.

A unique area

The 5 Lakes area of Ivrea constitutes another naturalistic treasure to be discovered.

It is a unique geological area because right here is the insubric line, i.e., the place of collision between the European and African plates, where rocks normally found at great depths and lake basins created by glacial erosion outcrop:

• Lake Sirio, which is swimmable and reaches up to 45 meters deep;
• Lake Pistono, dominated by a magnificent castle and characterized by the “Ballerine Lands”;
• Lake San Michele, Lake Nero and Lake Campagna, all rich in flora, fauna and trails that can be practiced by anyone.

picturesque lakes

Lake Viverone, which borders Canavese to the east, is the largest lake basin left to us by the Balteo glacier: when its waters are stirred by the wind coming from the Aosta Valley, it feels like being on the sea in a gale!

From the hills surrounding it, there are ever-changing views, and as you navigate it, you will appreciate corners of wilderness, views of vineyards, and archaeological pile-dwelling sites.

And then smaller but equally picturesque lake basins, such as Meugliano and Alice, recognized Sites of Community Interest.

echoes of history

Other hilly and foothill areas offer additional opportunities to enjoy protected areas.

In northwestern Canavese, the Pelati Mountains Nature Reserve and the Special Nature Reserve of Sacro Monte di Belmonte, further south, the Vauda Nature Reserve, characterized by uniqueness that cannot be found elsewhere.

Sites of high historical value, for the settlements of which artifacts have been found, are home to landscapes that are at times almost “lunar” and desert-like, rocky, and at times similar to the Vercelli baraggia, with alternating wetlands and heath areas, where even the flora and fauna have had to adapt for survival in hostile environments.

A thousand streams

And since Canavese is rich in water (that’s why it is so green!), why not discover the rivers and streams that flow through it? Besides the Po, the most relevant course is the Dora Baltea, with its cerulean (gray-blue) waters, the only Italian river with a nivo-glacial regime. The best vantage points, although not very naturalistic, are the bridges that cross it in the middle of the town of Ivrea: although it may seem impossible today, the river was an important river port in the Roman Empire.

And then there are the creeks:

• the Orc, coming from the valley of the same name, which, by its name, evokes all the power and impetuosity of when it is in flood (but for the Canavese it is “l’Eva d’Or,” that is, the golden water, because of the straws of precious metal it still drags downstream);
• the Soana, which is a tributary of the former;
• the Chiusella, also a symbol of an entire valley, wild and somewhat mysterious, bypassed, in the initial part of its course, by splendid stone humpback bridges, enlivened by generous jumps that create scenic waterfalls and then, further down, splendid natural pools of crystal-clear water;
• the Malone which runs through the southernmost part of Canavese.

flora and fauna

We have so far guided you to discover naturalistic pearls and protected areas: but could we ever forget that being in Piedmont also means having an area strongly characterized by high peaks and deep valleys? The whole northwestern Canavese is like that! We tell you about them, in brief, starting from the north, in an anti-clockwise direction: it is up to you to choose which one to discover, with the certainty of finding a mountain that is still authentic and little anthropized.

The Dora Baltea has carved out the valley of the same name, characterized, on its sunniest side, by “heroic” viticulture, with rural architecture climbing up to 700 meters above sea level, which then gives way to chestnut groves and, still beyond, to rock and mountain pastures; dominated by Mombarone on one side and Mount Gregory on the other, the Dora Baltea Valley has, since time immemorial, been a transit route for every people.

Valchiusella also hosts a watercourse in its valley bottom. It is verdant, rich in woods and meadows where, if accompanied by the “magistre,” many wild edible herbs can still be found. A variety of minerals have been extracted from its mountains for centuries, and evidence of this activity is alive in Traversella and Brosso.

biodiversity

Then there is the Sacred Valley, so called because of the abundant presence of shrines, chapels, and votive pillars; dominated by Punta Quinseina and Punta Verzel, in spring it offers an exciting spectacle with slopes completely covered with flowering daffodils.

What about the Orco and Soana Valleys, then: here the peaks are imposing, rugged, rocky. Over all dominates the Gran Paradiso massif, which, with its peak, is the only 4,000-meter peak entirely on Italian territory.

We close with the Malone Valley, crossed by the stream of the same name, wooded, rich in hamlets and paths. Last, we still want to tease you with a uniqueness that belongs to us and characterizes us: the Ivrea Morainic Amphitheater. Not a simple geographical area, but the geological conformation of glacial origin among the best preserved on the entire planet! Should we start from the Quaternary, from the ice ages … a bit too much? Then come and discover it up close, you will find those who can fascinate you by telling you about it.