Battle of the Oranges

In February, at the foot of the Alps, the cobbled streets of Ivrea's old town are carpeted in orange pulp. Helmeted tyrant's guards stand on carts while teams of foot-soldier throwers hit back fiercely with oranges from every direction, and the air is thick with sweet-sour citrus and the smell of horses. It is one of Italy's oldest carnivals and the wildest fruit fight in the world.