The Battle of the Oranges is the main event of the Ivrean Carnival (Carnevale d’Ivrea), which attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world.
The Jewish Carnival takes place in northern Italy in the small town of Ivrea. This is one of the traditional Mardi Gras carnivals, which take place in February – March in many European cities. The date of its holding is different every year and is tied to the date of Western (Catholic) Easter. The Ivrea Carnival begins on the last weekend before Lent and ends on Mardi Gras “Fat Tuesday”. In 2017, the carnival will begin on February 25. In 2018 – February 10. In 2019 – March 2. In 2020 – February 22.
The Battle of the Oranges takes place in the central squares of the city of Ivrea
The main event of the carnival is the orange fight, when the participants in the battle throw tons of ripe oranges at each other (in total, more than 350 tons of oranges are spent at the carnival)!
According to historical data, the Battle of the Oranges is held in memory of the popular uprising of Tuquinajo, when the commoners rebelled against their masters. This battle also tells about the events of the 12th century, reflected in the beautiful legend about the girl Violetta, who lived at that time in Ivrea and, according to the then existing right of the ruler, on her wedding night with the bride had to go to bed with the despotic ruler of the city. But the girl killed the tyrant and threw his severed head out onto the street from the balcony. The soldiers grabbed her, but the crowd of people who had gathered managed to recapture her from them, throwing stones at the guards.
A cart with guards is thrown with oranges
Over time, oranges began to symbolize stones and personify the freedom-loving spirit of the city’s inhabitants. The Battle of the Oranges was first held in the 1940s, after World War II. According to tradition, participants dress in ancient medieval costumes and are divided into teams of orange throwers (arancheri). There are 9 teams of 100 people each. Each team has its own place. Towards the beginning of the battle, carts with fruits are brought to the central city squares, which are guarded by guards dressed in armor. This is where the orange battle breaks out between the guards and the teams. At the end of the battle, the judges determine the winning team. The girl Violetta, the queen of the city, is also chosen. At the end of the festival, the participants of the battle, led by Violetta, solemnly walk through the city center.
Carnival Queen Violetta rides in a festive float ahead of the procession
If you do not want to be bombarded with oranges, wear a special red cap – a symbol of immunity and non-participation in the festival.
If you are in Italy during the dates of this carnival, then you can also visit the Roman Carnival.