The Hornbeam stands on the left bank of the River Dora, in one of the most beautiful locations in the town of Ivrea, in front of the historic gardens of Palazzo Giusiana. The imposing specimen, which stands 14 metres tall, has two main trunks: the larger of the two has a circumference of 320 cm while the smaller one reaches 235 cm. The network of ridges visible on the trunks and branches make the appearance of this tree even more striking. Until a few decades ago, the top used to be pollarded, presumably for the harvesting of the branches or for ornamental reasons.
The specimen, which is more than a century old, is a valid representative of a species which is considered to have a rather short life in its natural context (on average 150-200 years). The wood, which is hard and compact, was used for the construction of buttons and presses, while, in phytotherapy, the green parts were used as astringent or, in association with other plants, for the treatment of bronchial diseases.
