The traditional orange battle has its roots in the middle age, where beans were used in this contest. Twice a year the feudal lord gave a pot of beans to poor families who, out of disrespect, threw them back to the lord. This tradition remained unchanged until last century, when girls, during the recurring celebration of the event, started to throw some oranges from their balconies onto the parade carriages.
The targets of these oranges were the boys by who the girls wanted to be noticed. From the carriages the boys started to gently answer in kind and little by little, the gesture became a real fight between the throwers on the balconies and those in the streets.
Today the contest is still performed in the main squares of the town, where teams in carriages (symbolising the tyrant’s soldiers) battle against the orange thrower teams on foot (the rebellious people).
The orange battle is an incredible cultural and goliardic heritage, which makes the festival a national and international event with a great mass participation. Anybody can be part of it by registering in one of the nine teams on foot or becoming a member of a carriage crew.

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