During the traditional “Battle of the Oranges” at the carnival in the Italian town of Ivrea (Piedmont region), 138 participants and spectators were injured, EastFruit reports citing European media.
The event took place as part of the historic Ivrea Carnival, which attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. According to the organisers, around 40,000 spectators attended the spectacle this year, while thousands of participants — known as “aranceri” — took part in the battle, throwing oranges at each other from the town’s squares and from horse-drawn carts.
According to emergency services, most of the injured suffered bruises, eye injuries or facial trauma caused by oranges, as well as injuries from falls in the crowd. Of the 138 injured, 17 people were hospitalised, although no serious injuries were reported.
The orange battle is the central event of the multi-day carnival. Traditionally, participants are divided into teams: some stand on carts representing the forces of a tyrant, while others remain in the city squares as rebels. During the battle, they throw oranges at each other, turning Ivrea’s historic centre into a dramatic “citrus battlefield”.
To prevent illegal sourcing of fruit, organisers introduced additional requirements for orange suppliers this year. Companies must provide an anti-mafia self-certification — a declaration confirming the absence of links with organised crime — as well as full documentation confirming the agricultural origin of the fruit.
The Battle of the Oranges in Ivrea is considered one of Italy’s oldest and most spectacular carnival traditions. Its origins date back to the Middle Ages. According to legend, the event commemorates a popular uprising by the townspeople against a cruel feudal ruler, after which the city gained its freedom.
The use of the site materials is free if there is a direct and open for search engines hyperlink to a specific publication of the East-Fruit.com website.
