The Battle of the Oranges serves as the crowning glory of carnival celebrations in the Italian city of Ivrea. During this activity, groups of men and women dress up in the medieval garb of kings and guards and head out into the city, some on carts and some on foot. The carts are loaded with military ammunition - tons of oranges are prepared for the holiday. The battle has a historical background and serves as a re-enactment of a medieval revolt, when the townspeople of the Piedmontese city of Ivrea, near Turin, overthrew an evil king. Why and how oranges serve as the main weapon in battle, no one really remembers.
Members of one of the teams collect surviving oranges in the center of the square during a battle as part of the annual carnival in the northern Italian city of Ivrea.
People throw oranges at each other, reenacting a medieval battle. To protect themselves from serious injuries, participants in the fun wear armor and various protections on all possible parts of the body. Here it is simply necessary to protect the head, therefore, those who do not have a medieval helmet use hockey helmets and masks. But still, the next day, half of the townspeople walk around with bruises.
The participant receives oranges for his protective helmet. The roots of traditional fun go back to the Middle Ages, but versions of the origin story vary. According to one version, the feudal lords, in a fit of generosity, scattered handfuls of beans to the peasants, and the peasants, who were not very fond of beans and feudal lords, threw them after them.
Participants on carts have more advantageous positions; it is easier to throw from above, and there is somewhere to hide if desired. The second legend says that the holiday originated after a riot of townspeople who threw stones at the guards of their ruler, after the ruler himself encroached on a young girl, the daughter of a local miller.
From the outside, the holiday looks quite cruel. However, like the second legend of its origin. After all, the young maiden who was encroached upon by the local ruler, they say, got rid of his advances by cutting off the head of that same ill-fated ruler.
In general, both versions of the origins of the fun are quite plausible, however, there are no options why, over time, oranges became the projectiles in the carnage; the fruit, it must be said, is quite large and hard.
Opposing teams throw oranges at each other. The good townspeople of Ivrea, by the way, welcome tourists who want to take part in the holiday, and are happy to include them in teams for a reasonable fee, only 6 euros.
Based on the results of the battle, the most accurate team is determined, although it is not entirely clear what the competition jury is guided by; it could be the number of bruises the enemy has.
And to console all those who were beaten, optimistic Italians came up with a sign that bruises and abrasions received on this day bring good luck in the new year.
Photo from guardian.co.uk
Travel without adventure is dull and ordinary. A real trip to Italy is not visiting monuments and eating pizza in a restaurant, or walking around shops and nightclubs. A real journey is about living emotions and vivid memories, medieval stories coming to life on the streets of cities.
What to see in Italy? Of course, the Italian carnival! In general, any theatrical performance in Italy is an unusual and rich event.
A curious traveler simply needs to go to the city of Ivrea, which is located not far from Turin, and see with his own eyes what kind of miracle this is - the Battle of the Orange.
For just three days a year, around mid-February, the town of Ivrea turns into a battlefield. Residents take to the streets to take part in an exciting theatrical performance and compete among themselves in teams. The specialty of this battle is the projectiles. Participants throw oranges at each other, sparing neither effort nor supplies.
The Battle of the Oranges (Battaglia delle arance) is a spectacle so colorful and attractive that tourists from all over the world come to watch the battle.
Just imagine: the whole city is strewn with oranges, juice flows through the streets in streams, and in the air the fresh citrus smell mixes with the smell of roasted chestnuts.
They say that during the Battle of the Oranges, as many oranges are wasted as are eaten in Italy in a year!
The story explaining the origin of this holiday says that long ago in the 12th century, the city was ruled by a nobleman who was famous for his cruelty and stinginess. The people who lived in his domain were driven to despair by the high taxes and extortions of the tyrant.
The miller's young daughter Violetta, who did not want to belong to her master on her wedding day, cut off his head and showed it from the castle wall to the people standing below. That same night the castle was destroyed and burned, and Violetta forever remained a symbol of freedom for the inhabitants of the city. Of course, she is the main heroine of the holiday. Dressed in beautiful white robes, the miller's daughter leads the parade of participants after the battle, handing out flowers and sweets to everyone. It is interesting that since 1858, the name of each girl who became Violetta during the holiday remains in the history of the festival. And the main character, of course, is an orange. It symbolizes the severed head of the greedy marquis. Orange is the color of the rebel citizens.
The theatrical action begins at one o'clock on Thursday with the distribution of free beans and sausages in the square to everyone. “Fagiolata benefica” is written on a sign above the squares, where crowds of citizens and tourists flock.
Beans are the food of the poor, and sausage is the personification of wealth. But on “Fat Thursday,” which is the name of the day the carnival begins, as a sign of reconciliation, both “sides” find themselves on the same plate.
Violetta and her companion General (another indispensable character in the performance) also take part in the general meal, and then, caught up in the carnival procession that has already begun, they head to the municipality.
Ah, these wonderful carnivals in Italy! Medieval costumes, white horses, wind instruments. It seems that the city is surrendering without a fight to this unbridled fun!
Meanwhile, on the streets hung with flags, boxes of oranges are waiting in the wings. Oranges are delivered from Sicily specially for the beginning of the Battle of the Oranges. The display cases are tightly closed, spectators gather, and the teams undergo final checks before the fight.
The participants in the battle are divided into two camps: those sitting on horse-drawn carts represent the guards, and the nine foot teams “aranceri a piedi” represent the rebels.
Each team has its own uniform, name and place for battle. The areas where battles take place are fenced with a fishing net. For three days the city has been gripped by orange madness to such an extent that it is difficult not to resist throwing an orange. Yes, and for those who do not want to become a target, the organizers suggest wearing a red Beretto Friggio cap. Each battle ends with the obligatory handshake of the opponents.
In addition to battles, competitions and performances by artists are held during the carnival. And this Italian carnival ends with the final procession and the burning of a straw pole.
After all, the higher the pillar, the more successful and richer the next year will be. After all, the Battle of the Orange is not only a holiday of freedom, but also a cheerful and bright celebration of welcoming spring.
In Northern Italy, the annual costume carnival “Carnevale d’Ivrea” is held through the streets of the city of Ivrea with participation in the orange battle. The Battle of Oranges is a re-enactment of a historical battle, only instead of weapons, stones and...
In Northern Italy, the annual costume carnival “Carnevale d’Ivrea” is held through the streets of the city of Ivrea with participation in the orange battle. The Battle of Oranges is a re-enactment of a historical battle, only instead of weapons, stones and cobblestones, ripe orange fruits are in the hands of townspeople and tourists.
Before the start of Lent, many countries hold various colorful festivals and carnivals with bright decorations and incredible wild fun. This carnival tradition is also supported by the Italians, who organize various carnivals on a grand scale, one of which is the “Battle of the Orange”. More than 350 tons of juicy fruit are prepared in advance for the orange battle, which is approximately the annual consumption of oranges throughout Italy. One can only imagine what a citrus smell reigns, and what an orange layer of pulp the city streets are covered with after the battle. Street cleaning is carried out by tradition by all participants in the battle. Every year the number of participants in this orange battle only increases.
To fully understand the meaning of this carnival, you need to know the history of the city of Ivrea, where this holiday is held. As historians say, back in 1808 an event took place, namely the armed uprising of the people of Tukinadjo against the despotism of the feudal lords. But this historical fact attracts townspeople and tourists little; there is another interpretation of this event - a legend. And this is what the locals like the most. After all, every legend carries a certain mystery, which, if desired, you can embellish and add something of your own. So the legend says that a long time ago, back in the 12th century, a terrible law reigned on this land, which gave the ruler of Ivrea the right to the “first night” with any girl standing under the aisle. At that time there lived the beautiful Violetta, the daughter of a miller, who was soon to get married. And on the wedding day, the reigning ruler of the city wanted to exercise his rights, but the obstinate and brave Violetta was able to repel the king, stabbed him, and threw his head from the balcony. The guards grabbed the girl, but local residents fought her off, throwing stones at the guards.
No one knows for sure whether this story could actually exist, but the townspeople fell in love with this legend and now annually celebrate Violetta’s “liberation” battle, where ripe oranges are used instead of stone cobblestones.
The entire organization of the holiday is carried out quite carefully, the battle itself takes place in the main squares of the city. First, a girl is chosen to play the role of Violetta. As a rule, she is the main beauty of the carnival. Everyone who wants to take part is divided into groups of one hundred people, who make up the main force of fighters called arancheri. They are dressed in special colorful costumes. Improvised carts with guards drive out to the square. Each such cart contains ten people, specially trained and dressed in clothes with metal armor and helmets. After all, a forcefully thrown orange is quite a formidable weapon, which sometimes, even in the presence of special clothing, leads to minor injuries to the participants, such as a broken nose and a black eye. But this is nothing compared to the emotions that everyone present and taking part in the battle receives. At the end of the battle, the team on the ground that threw the citrus fruits better and more accurately is given a prize.
By the way, those who do not want to participate in this battle themselves, but want to watch the battle from the outside and not be a “broken” orange, such spectators are given red hats. This red cap tells all the fighters that this carnival hero is inviolable.
Look at these photographs taken at the time of the battle, and you will understand that the entire show is a rather serious battle, but friendship, unity, love and justice still win. At least that's what I'd like to think.published
February and March in Europe are the busiest months with holidays and carnivals. Almost every self-respecting town considers it its duty to organize some amazing and grandiose event. So the Italian Ivrea, located in the north of the country, does not lag behind the fashion: its orange battles are known throughout the world.
This citrus mayhem usually takes place in February; in 2016, the battle is scheduled for the 8th. Interestingly, the mass orange massacre is just part of the whole festival, which usually lasts 3-4 days (from February 6 to 9). At this time, numerous tourists, as well as the Italians themselves, flock to Ivrea at this time.
During the battle, a small Italian town produces as many oranges as the entire country could hardly handle in a year. What are these sacrifices for? Any city holiday (even if it is an orange bacchanalia) has its own legend. It says that in the 12th century a despotic feudal lord lived in these places. According to the custom of that time, the local ruler had the right to the “first night” with any young bride. The miller’s daughter, Violetta, also lived here, and she was unusually pretty. When, on her wedding day, the ruler demanded the girl to come to him, she was not at a loss: she came to the feudal lord’s chambers, beheaded him and showed his head from the balcony. The tyrant was defeated by the fragile and beautiful miller's wife, which became a landmark event for the city.
How exactly do oranges fit into this story? The residents themselves tell several versions at once. Some say that the fruit symbolizes the head of a tyrant. Others claim that the oranges are stones that the townspeople threw at the guards who were trying to punish the defenseless Violetta for killing the ruler. Still others claim that this whole orange massacre is a symbol of the free and unbroken spirit of the city of Ivrea.
One way or another, every February here rivers of juice from “innocently murdered” oranges flow through the streets, delighting all the participants in the orange fights and amusing the spectators. The celebration ends with a victorious procession of all the “warriors”, led by a beautiful Italian woman in white robes.
If you are going to Ivrea at this time, bring plenty of warm clothes. Not because it’s cold there, but in order to protect yourself from oranges flying from all sides. A helmet won't hurt either - the head is still a rather valuable part of the body. Are you packed? Then go ahead - for the spirit of freedom and the smell of oranges!
Historical Carnival of Ivrea, born in Piedmont like a medieval local which, due to its originality and uniqueness, still attracts every year. Thanks to the unification of local festivals introduced in 1808 by the Napoleonic authorities who governed the city, today we have the Historical Carnival of Ivrea, the so-called battle of oranges, as we know it today.
The celebration takes place in the city and lasts for more than three days. The carnival begins on January 6, the day when the residents of the city are presented with the “General”, the symbol of municipal power, who rules the holiday. The procession starts from the Chapel of the Three Kings on the mountain (Cappella dei Tre Re sul Monte), and delivers candles to the bishop. 
Orange Festival in Italy as a holiday and a symbol of liberation from tyranny. The episode in history that led to the occurrence of the event goes back to the Middle Ages, to the time of the uprising of the heroes who gave birth to it: the miller and his bride-to-be. The young woman refused to submit to authority, and eventually beheaded the tyrant, sparking a popular uprising that led to the destruction of the castle and the birth of a new, free municipality. The famous Orange Battle as a signal for an uprising: the townspeople represent teams of orange throwers, about 4,000 people, who clash with the tyrant's soldiers stationed on 50 horse-drawn carriages. Their weapon is oranges. The nine teams are: "Spades", "Death", "Tuchini", "Chess", "Arduini", "Panthers", "Devils", "Mercenaries" and "Grenadiers".
On holidays, a solemn folklore ceremony is held. Every orange carnival participant must wear a red cap (in memory of the French revolutionaries, and also to avoid becoming a target for orange throwers). The historical procession takes place on the evening of Fat Thursday, the celebration in honor of the carnival is held on Friday, on Saturday there is a presentation of the official part from the balcony of the Mugnia Town Hall and fireworks, and of course, the orange battle itself on Sunday. All participants - men, women and children - regardless of their role, wear uniforms that resemble different historical periods. Most often, at the Battle of the Oranges, no outside music is played; it is replaced by the sounds of trumpets and drums that march at the head of the procession.
The most famous and exciting moment remains orange battle February 11, 2018. It takes place in the main squares of the city of Ivrea between the carts that follow the parade and the foot teams. The commission awards teams of orange throwers, who stand out for their special courage, throwing technique and loyalty. Tourists who participate in the battle are theoretically protected from the "flying oranges" by metal nets that cover most of the buildings in the squares where the battles are held, but it is better to keep your ears open.
All orange fighters are united by the unwritten rules of chivalry, which contain two words - sports brotherhood. Their "peaceful" demonstration, even if sometimes someone gets injured, in the end it all ends with a handshake.
By its origin and significance, by its complexity and beauty of folklore and history, the Carnival of Ivrea remains a great world cultural heritage.
How to get to Ivrea from Turin: A5 motorway Turin-Aosta, exit at Ivrea
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