Orange Throwing
at the Ivrea Carnival

When 2-5 February 2008. The days leading up to Fat Tuesday every year.

Where Ivrea in the Piedmont district in Turin. A small town of 25,00 people in the north-west of Italy

Orange throwing today The tradition in Ivrea takes place as art of the annual carnival in the days leading up to Fat Tuesday.

The are numerous piazzas in Ivrea. There are 9 competing teams (see below) A cart filled with people (each symbolizing the lord‘s guards) is carried into a square. Then they are pelted from every direction by oranges & in turn return a pelting on the people surrounding the cart. There are nets to keep spectators moneymaking faces impact free. If you want to get onto the battlefield but not throw or be hit then wear a tall red hat - you can get yours at the train station.

When I took part in the orange throwing at Ivrea, I joined up with the Aranceri Morte. Loosley translated this means Oranges of death. This is not a reference to poisonous contents but rather big league throwers. Their website (with an english option)is

Where to stay I stayed with friends in Turin, however there is a comprehensive accommodation list on the official Ivrea carnival website linked below. If you can’t find a hotel in Ivrea, you will find a hotel, hostel, apartment or campsite (if you’re crazy enough ) in nearby Turin.





Oranges of Death Homepage

Other sources claim the throwing dates to the mid-nineteenth century. However, oranges weren’t always the weapon of choice. In the middle ages beans pre-ceded the feisty fruit. This sometimes occurred twice a year.

Town lords would give the poor people of the town beans. Which were thrown on the streets in disgust. These were used in carnival to show the dismay the town people had for the local adversaries. The peak of carnival was a parade of the town’s adversaries parading around town on horse drawn carts.

The tradition of oranges in Ivrea emerged last century. Women were responsible for this new age take on an ancient festival. To get the attention of an appropriate suitor they found that it was easier to get noticed when you throw oranges.

Getting there Ivrea is on the Turin – Aosta line. From the Turin Dora or Turin Porta Susa stations you can get to Ivrea in an hour. I am not sure if there is such a thing as a tour group from America or the UK to the Ivrea Orange throwing Festival tours but there should be.

Airport Aeroporto Internazionale Sandro Pertini in Turin Caselle is the closest. It’s 16 km from the City of Turin and about 40 km from Ivrea. There are connections every 30 minutes between the train station Turin Caselle.

The Ivrea Orange Throwing teams

Pick a team

Chessmen Their name stems from the number of the first throwers, sixteen as per the pawns in a chess game. From 1964 until today their number has grown, but the chequered cloak with its orange tower, a symbol of the Ivrea castle has remained the same. The scarf is orange. The team is one of the largest and has its throwing position in the Piazza Ottinetti.

Arduini The team which shares the Piazza Ottinetti with the Chessmen was founded in 1966 and takes its name from one of the most attractive streets of the old town of Ivrea, via Arduino. The members of the Scorpion team wear green trousers, a scarf which is changed each year and a yellow coat with a picture of a scorpion on the back.

Ace of Spades Founded in 1947 by a group of young soccer players from Ivrea. The uniform is red and blue with the ace of spades as their emblem and a black scarf. The team, which is one of the two oldest, has its throwing position on the Piazza di Città.

Death The team which shares the Piazza di Città with the Spades was founded in 1954 by a group of friends from the San Grato quarter. Originally their cloak was a blue work overall. Now the uniform consists of a black coat with a white skull and crossbones. The trousers are red.

Tuchini The Borghetto, one of the oldest and most fascinating parts of the town, is the territory of the Tuchini team. They made their first appearance in 1964 with a uniform they are still wearing today. It is red and green with a red scarf. The badge represents a raven, the symbol of Croatia. In the old days there were quite a few Croatians in Ivrea.





Devils As one of the teams with the most awards they have their throwing position in the Piazza del Rondolino. They were founded in 1973 and can be recognised by their yellow cloaks and red trousers with yellow bands and a yellow scarf. Their emblem is the devil with pitchfork.

Mercenaries They too throw in the Piazza del Rondolino. The Mercenaries were founded in 1974 and wear a burgundy coloured badge and yellow trousers which have replaced the original blue jeans, and a multi coloured scarf. The team chose a pair of scimitars inside a five pointed yellow star for their emblem.

Panthers They are the third team which share the large Piazza del Rondolino with the Mercenaries and the Devils. For about ten years the Panthers battled in the Piazza di Città where they were practically born, then they went to Piazza Ferrando and Piazza Ottinetti until finally arriving at their present throwing position. The team members are completely clad in black lined with yellow like the scarf. Their emblem is the same as its name, a roaring panther.

Credendari They were the last to be founded, in 1985, and not recognised until 1989. They throw in the Piazza Freguglia and their cloaks are yellow and blue with a yellow scarf. Their emblem shows the Palazzo della Credenza with the crossed club (symbol of the town community), the battle-axe (symbol of the Podestà) and below these the team name.

Dangers & Annoyances Finding out that your travel insurance doesn’t cover orange induced amnesia.

Getting a tyrant orange anywhere on your noodle. Finding out that people wearing red hats are actually throwing oranges.

Festival Pig Fact Oranges are not native to Ivrea. The town imports all heir oranges from Sicily (the old country).

Orange Throwing in Ivrea Official Homepage - English Option