Today is Shrove Tuesday,
day when the carnival begins in theory, for then end the evening of Tuesday, the eve of Lent.
Here ... I consider myself very lucky, because in addition to love the carnival, live in a place where there are several important things about it.
First of all I live in the country, its history, the carnival is done in the evening on Ash Wednesday, on the day, and then, when Lent begins.
And then, I have the strategic luck (always with a view of the fact that I love the carnival) to live a little 15 km from Ivrea, where there is the famous battle of oranges.
For those unfamiliar with the story tell you about very briefly and release very simple.
all goes back to the period of the Middle Ages. Legend has it that Violetta daughter of a miller of Ivrea, the night of his wedding was brought to by the evil tyrant who Castellazzo wanted to assert the right to spend with her wedding night as Violetta wife of a serf of the tyrant himself.
Violet manages to get drunk but the tyrant while he sleeps and cut off his head (I know, it's a bit macabre), thus starting a popular uprising and the slaughter of the tyrant.
Natuarlmente the carnival is the main character of Violetta, or Mugnaia in front of the parade as the standard bearers with the flags representing each ward, then there is the general on horseback with the officers of the staff and the food, the replaced Chancellor, and finally, abba, all of which are children. To give a touch of
allegrai is the band of fifes, parading with a uniform consisting of tunic and red trousers green.
The festival begins on the night of Shrove Tuesday, when every square is a party with music, and people go all dressed as he pleases .... and I assure you that there is no limit to the imagination, I already seen it all.
Saturday evening there will be the release of Violetta, the march to the city, where the groups will also participate in the orange throwers. And from Sunday through Tuesday will be the famous battle of oranges.
The battle we follow are in the 3 main squares, where the teams who patrol the streets waiting for the aranceri passage of the wagons ... and I assure them that being in the middle is not very enjoyable !!!!!
wagons, pulled by pairs or quadrille (and here the animals all the years are being felt more and more) aranceri carry groups of about a dozen that are protected by armor and especially leather masks with iron gratings to protect the face . Each group on foot, however, is much larger, ranging literally assault the wagon across the square trying to hit, a shot of orange, the opponents on the bandwagon. Most malicious attempt to hit their face masks so that enter the orange juice in the eye (that is so cruel ....) The aranceri foot wear colorful costumes by group membership with jackets often open very wide to hold the oranges (my brother instead became a big shoulder bag that carries that fills then oranges) and they do not have any protection to shield from oranges that come from the wagon.
During these three days of battle, where everything is filled with orange and everywhere where there is a wonderful scent, a special committee observes all these battles and declared a winner.
tell how I wrote it seems cruel, and in many ways it is, because parents unconscious accompagano their children in tow, tantitissimi young (and old) are injured. broken noses and cheeks are swollen routine things, but I assure you, watching from a spectator is something fantastic. There are safety nets, and then .... in theory, here wearing a red hat .... sock-shaped, more or less the shape it is this, is immune from being hit.
do not know if I get the idea, but it is the Carnival of Ivrea is something unique and fantastic, it deserves to be experienced at least once in their lifetime.
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