The Preda in Dora ceremony is undoubtedly one of the most symbolic moments of the Ivrea Carnival ceremonial.

Its roots go back a long way into the past, from1608, the date of its first appearance in the Ivrea city records. The sentence “hoc in spretum olim Marchionis Montisferratii” is dated 1683.

The protocol of the ritual was, and still is, simple but austere. The Podestà with his retinue go to where the Castellazzo (home of the Marquis) once stood and here the Mazza is used to remove a stone from the ruins, while pronouncing the sentence “non permittam meo posse edifficium aliquod construi in loco et terreno in quo erat castrum sancti Mauricii et turres quondam Marchionis”, the promise that no new castle will ever be built in that place. Having done this, the stone is then hurled into the river Dora. For a long time this ceremony was forgotten but it reappeared in 1969, and has remained since then in the ceremonial.
At present it is one of the scenes that attracts most spectators and takes place with great pomp on carnival Sunday morning on the old bridge.