Northern Italy is known for its pastoral scenery, small rural villages, and quaint communities and customs. The town of Ivrea, located in the Piemont region, fits that mold for most of the year. But during Ivrea’s annual carnival week in February, things get messy. The Carnevale d’Ivrea has been held each year for nearly two centuries, begun during the time of Napolean, when carnival activities of each city district were combined into a city-wide celebration. After the region was put back under Italian rule, the Carnevale d’Ivrea was continued as just one big festival that included all of the various districts. The people in town would dress up in period costumes and re-enact elements of the revolt held in the 12th century. The re-enactment traditionally includes the same assortment of characters: a miller’s daughter named Violetta, the Deputy Chancellor of the town, several generals from Napoleon’s army, joined by a marching band of pipers, flag bearers, and drummers.
The story told by the characters is based on a story from the 12th century, when the local duke instituted a regular tradition allowing him to spend one night with every woman in his territory just after she became married. Some citizens went along with this decree simply because they feared reprisals if they didn’t, but others took a stand. One young woman, Violetta, didn’t refuse the duke, she chopped off his head. As a result, a revolution was launched in the town, pitting the downtrodden citizens against politicians and oppressive rulers. Even now, Violetta is revered and remembered as an important symbol of freedom.The Carnevale d’Ivrea lasts for a week, wrapping up just prior to Ash Wednesday with parades, music, a huge bonfire, and the most famous part of the festival - the battle of the oranges. The orange-pelting frenzy was added relatively recently to the carnival festivities, with the orange intended to symbolize the poor duke’s decapitated head after it was lobbed off by Violetta. The exact development of the orange battle is unclear, but evidently the townsfolk used apples and beans originally, before changing to oranges at some time in the early 20th century.
The orange free-for-all may look random, but it is actually quite organized. The citizens of Ivrea divide into nine teams, and they attack each other. Some of them are mounted in high carriages towering over the crowd, meant to represent the duke’s guards, and others toss oranges from street level. The teams in carriages all wear large helmets and other protective gear, and the citizens on the ground wear protective gear by no helmets. All participants in the battle is in costume. The oranges are fresh, firm, and are hurled with speed and accuracy, and can hurt their intended targets. For visitors who just want to watch without getting pelted, wearing a red cap will let the fruit flingers know that you’re just a spectator. However, anyone is welcome to join in the chaos by volunteering to join one of the teams.
The Battle of the Oranges is a very popular tourist attraction in Ivrea, as it caps off the week-long festival. After the battle, a ceremony is held at the town hall, where officials announce the winners of the battle, and then set fire to a fantastic bonfire. Townsfolk and tourists alike take part in post-battle revelry until the wee hours before retiring to relax and gather up their strength to get up the next day and tackle the massive pulpy mess that has been left behind. If you prefer to sit at home clean and dry, there are several great collections of photos and videos online posted by people who were courageous enough to take their cameras right into the thick of the battle. But if you’re a brave soul who wants to experience one of the greatest, albeit messiest, vacations you’ve ever enjoyed, then you need to head to Ivrea in February for a memorable fruit-flinging festival!
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