Some traditions are more colorful than others, and the famous Battle of the Oranges, which has taken place during Carnival in Ivrea, Italy for hundreds of years, is among the most original.
The carnival, which ran from February 18-21, was suspended last year due to COVID-19. This judgment is extraordinary as the last cancellations date back to the two world wars.
“For us it is a passion that is passed on from generation to generation. It’s more important than Christmas,” one participant told Buzzfeed News.
story of liberation
This festive event would pay tribute to an important event in the history of the city of Ivrea. It would tell the story of a tyrant’s fall at the hands of the people. Citizens would have gathered to throw stones at the despot’s castle. The stone volleys were so strong that they managed to destroy the building.
This legend, told since the Middle Ages, inspired several people in the 19th century who decided to recreate it as part of a carnival. Oranges have replaced stones and each year festival-goers gather to take part in the world’s largest food fight.
The participants in the Orange Battle are divided into several groups. Some of them, riding in a horse-drawn carriage, represent the tyrant’s soldiers. The aranceri, that is, those who walk and throw oranges, must target the people in the carts in order to “emancipate themselves from their ruler “.
19,800 tickets were sold for the first day of carnival. Almost 30,000 people attended the event, which organizers say is a record. That year, the Battle of the Oranges attracted 9 infantry, 47 chariots and 10,000 orange throwers.
Based on information from Buzzfeed News.