Battle of the Oranges

Pictures from the Carnevale in Ivrea.
Basic History:
It is valued as one of the most ancient carnivals in the world: during the year 1000 a miller's wife killed the tyrant of the city, King Arduino; from that episode began a civil war between the oppressed people and the king's supporters, finally won by people, and until now every year the citizens remember their liberation with the Battle of the Oranges. Teams of "Aranceri" by foot shoot oranges representing ancient arrows and stones against Aranceri on carts, representing Arduino's allies. During the French occupation of Italy in the nineteenth century the Carnival of Ivrea had been modified by adding representatives of the French army who help the miller's wife. There is also a story about how teh oppressed people were landowners, and the king would give them beans for their farms that he in turn got from other farms. And as protest the landowners threw the beans out their windows (like Jack and the Beanstalk) but instead of a giant and a cow and a silly kid the king changed the wages to oranges instead of beans. And thus the the citizens literally threw the oranges at Arduino's allies.

But a picture's worth a thousand words. Though it was hard to get a good shot.




My butt looks really big