Ivrea: Welcome to the Oldest Carnival in Italy

The sound of drums and music beckoned us from our hotel room in the early evening.  Ivrea’s annual Carnival had begun.

The Place:

We headed north from Turin to Ivrea, a small town in northwestern Italy after hearing rumblings of the spectacle of the annual Carnival. Ivrea is a small town with a population of just over 20,000. It’s annual Carnival in February is worth planning a trip around. Legend has it that the festival’s origins are medieval. The Miller’s daughter, Violeta, refused to be a victim of the duke’s claim of the right to spend her wedding night with her. Instead, she cut off his head with his own sword. This brave act sparked a rebellion symbolized today by The Battle of the Oranges.

The People:

I traveled to Ivrea with my two travel companions. They both have the same name, so let’s call them Tom and Bill to avoid confusion. I became friends with Bill before we could write, and was neighbours with Tom for several years.  As a result, we were three old friends from Canada backpacking from one Italian City to the next.

We met all sorts of people in Ivrea, but one of the most memorable was Simone. An adventurous and hospitable Italian proud of his hometown, Simone went out of his way to make Ivrea’s Carnival a weekend we would never forget.

The Plot:

Day 1:

After setting up base at our hotel, we grabbed a bite to eat and set out to stroll through the town. During our walk we quickly figured out that the town was divided up into 9 teams, each of which would defend a square during the battle of the oranges that lay ahead. After soaking in the beautiful view of the arched bridged spanning the picturesque river we heard the drums.

A tinge of anticipation rushed down my spine as we wound our way back out onto the main street. We soon found ourselves at base camp for one of the teams, enjoying warm cinnamon-spiced sangria. While we sipped away happily, we observed as the preparations were being made for the days to come. A short time later, boisterous pronouncements from a nearby tent drew our attention. Surrounded by a throng of onlookers, the newly elected team leader was wrapping up his acceptance speech. We arrived in time for the introduction of cake and champagne to the proceedings and so happily passed night one of the festival.

Day 2:

The Carnival officially kicked off on the second night with the teams parading their colours through the main streets. After taking in the marching bands and fire-breathers, we were treated to a dazzling array of colour courtesy a fireworks display by the river. Afterwards, as the smoke settled and the sky grew dark, the town itself erupted into one enormous party.

The preparations we had witnessed the night before went into action with booths giving out free sangria and paninis. Meanwhile, various squares throughout the town featured stages and live music where the locals congregated to dance. In one of the squares we met Simone, an Italian snowboarder fresh from a nearby competition. He let us know how we could join the “raven” team (properly known as team Tuchini del Borghetto) responsible for the party in that square. Before bidding us goodnight, he indicated the place to go in the morning.  The sign-up process sounded all very straight forward. Perhaps the wry grin on Simone’s face should have better prepared us for what awaited.

Continue the Story in Part 2, The Battle of the Oranges and read more about Ivrea’s annual Carnival on the official site.