Battle Of The Oranges - Italy!!!

Hello everyone!!!

The Carnival of Ivrea is counted in the list of one of the oldest and most particular festivals in the world.

Carnival of Ivrea is one of the most fascinating and addictive events Italy may offer. The History behind the Carnival in Ivrea including The Battle of Oranges which is recognized as an “Italian event of international importance”. It is the commemoration of the populace revolt against the Baron of the place who reduced to hungry the city. The cause of the revolt was the refusal of a miller’s daughter to respect the jus primae Noctis.

This Historical Carnival in Ivrea is famous because of the “Battle of Oranges” taking place on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday afternoon.

It is an ancient tradition in which an orange fight is the main event. This event is started in the middle of the 19 century.

The history behind the orange fight

According to the local history, in the Middle-Ages, beans were thrown by the participants in the street fights. Twice a year, the feudal lord used to donate a pot with beans to the poor tenant's families.

The handout was very humiliated as the beans were thrown on the ground so the poor had no choice but to collect it one by one. In the 30th of the 19 century, the beans were replaced by the oranges. The custom of Orange's throwing is begun by the city girls, who threw flowers, confetti and oddly enough also oranges!!

Their goal was to attract the attention of the boys, but they shoot back and threw the oranges at the girls, so a strange unique fight was developed. The orange fight became as similar to WW2. This orange fight becomes a part of a comic contest with rules, winners, and losers.

Basic information about the festival

The Battle of Oranges is Italy’s largest food fight that sees over 500,000 pounds of oranges thrown throughout the city’s main streets and squares, symbolizing the people of Ivrea’s right to self-rule. The Battle of the begins on a Sunday before Ash Wednesday and ends on Shrove Tuesday.

How do they celebrate

In this orange fight, the people throw juicy fresh oranges on one another. There is a lot of similarity in "events of Ivrea’s carnival" & "La Tomatina". In both the festival throwing fruits like orange Or tomatoes is the common event. La Tomatina is held in the summer in Bunyola Spain.

Ivrea Carnival The Orange Fights 2020

Where

A. Centro Storico and Borghetto, Ivrea, Italy

When

February 22, 2020 – February 25, 2020

These orange fights are held all over the city & color the town with orange. In every square, you can find a “natural” place where those who do not take part in the fight can watch it safely.

Thank you!!!