#206--THE ORANGE BRAWL

The town of Ivrea in northern Italy has a battle each year which consists of huge crowds of people throwing millions of oranges at each other for three days. It can get somewhat sticky.

The tradition originated in 1194 when nobleman Conte Rainieri di Biandrate tried to employ Le droit du Seigneur* against Violetta, the bride of one of his subjects. Violetta construed this as a form of sexual harassment. In response, she decapitated the noble and displayed his head from his balcony. The townfolk then revolted and burned down his castle.

Depending on whom you believe, 1) the throwing of the oranges represents the throwing of stones by the peasants against the castle or 2) the oranges represent the head of the nobleman and the pulp his blood.

Oddly enough, oranges are not native to Ivrea, and tons of them have to be shipped in from the south for the festival.

*Le droit du Seigneur refers to the purported ritual in medieval Europe where a lord had the right, if not the duty, to deflower a peasant bride on her wedding night prior to turning her over to her husband. Many historians claim that the practice actually never formally existed in Europe but merely represents a nobleman taking unfair advantage of his position. The distinction, if any, probably mattered little to the unfortunate newlyweds.

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