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Orange throwing in Ivrea
The carnival of Ivrea is one of Italy's most spectacular thanks to one enterprising ingredient - the Battle of the Oranges.
Three days of build up and offically sanctioned violence are 'organised' when the squares and piazze are turned into battle grounds between 9 competing teams and 3000 people.
The origin of the madness goes back to a legendary people's revolt against Count Ranieri of Biandrate and is based on liberty and freedom of expression.
Before the battle on the Sunday of Carnival, the populace are fed with free beans, perhaps to sustain them during the rigors of battle.
The signal for the festival to begin is the holding aloft of a child by each of the 4 quarters of the town.
Although not as dangerous as running with the bulls at Pamplona, on a cold day it has been known for many of the oranges to freeze like golf balls. The site below is fantastic and has great photos as well as text in English.
www.carnevalediivrea.com
Ivrea was founded by the Romans in 100 BC and was called Eropedia.
Its position looking straight down the Aosta valley made it a great location for spotting marauding Gauls as well as a commercial center during more calmer times.
Ivrea, in fact, became the capital of the Italic Kingdom under Arduino around 1002.
Medieval times saw the city at its height both financially and culturally. The ecclesiastical university rivalled both Torino and Pavia in Lombardia and a large Benedictine abbey was constructed there in the XIth century.
Visitors today should head to the Baroque Duomo, the Biblioteca Capitolare for its miniature manuscripts and the Olivetti plant.
Why the latter? Because inside the grounds are some of the most important frescoes in northern Italy. By Spanozotti, they date from the 14th century. |
