Every year during Carnival, the people if Ivrea, Italy, re-enact a 12th-century battle in which the downtrodden townspeople overthrew their evil overlord -by flinging oranges at each other! Why oranges? Because it’s better than the beans they used before. After three days of fighting with oranges, many are left to nurse their bruises and the streets are covered with citrus pulp. You can read all about the origins of the tradition at Smithsonian. The video above is the 2012 Battle of the Oranges.
I am from Ivrea and I'm proud to say I was "an orange man" for many years! I know it's hard to explain the meaning of it all, but you can be sure it is something truly liberating. The Oranges which are wasted during the battle are very poor quality and not suitable for eating and their cost goes to benefic activities. Very few get hurt and most of them for sliding on the orange mud and not during the battle. I fought on the chariots and on the ground: after three days of battle you're tired as a real soldier can be but you're happy since you've liberated the town from the tyramny! Pay a visit to Ivrea: today it's the first day of the battle! So Oranges Up, my braves!
Thanks to You for bringing out this kind of curiosities. I'm a reader of yours since seven years and every day I find interesting facts with a sense of humor which I really appreciate. Never stop, please!
"Very poor quality not suitable for eating", that would depend how hungry you are? LoL If they weren't ripe yet they would be hard and very painful, might as well be rocks. At least the Spanish with their tomato fights are messy but soft enough to be safe.
I am from Ivrea and I'm proud to say I was "an orange man" for many years!
ReplyDeleteI know it's hard to explain the meaning of it all, but you can be sure it is something truly liberating. The Oranges which are wasted during the battle are very poor quality and not suitable for eating and their cost goes to benefic activities. Very few get hurt and most of them for sliding on the orange mud and not during the battle. I fought on the chariots and on the ground: after three days of battle you're tired as a real soldier can be but you're happy since you've liberated the town from the tyramny! Pay a visit to Ivrea: today it's the first day of the battle! So Oranges Up, my braves!
Thanks for that story, Lidermax!
ReplyDeleteThanks to You for bringing out this kind of curiosities. I'm a reader of yours since seven years and every day I find interesting facts with a sense of humor which I really appreciate. Never stop, please!
ReplyDelete"Very poor quality not suitable for eating", that would depend how hungry you are? LoL
ReplyDeleteIf they weren't ripe yet they would be hard and very painful, might as well be rocks.
At least the Spanish with their tomato fights are messy but soft enough to be safe.