Story and Legend

The Carnival of Ivrea has medieval origins.

The story is about riots against various tyrants.

A first riot was in 1194 when a young wife killed the tyrant who imposed the

law of Jus Primae Noctis.

A second riot of 1266 against the Marquis of Monferrato is remembered

with La Preda in Dora

Now the “mugnaia”, the miller’s wife, Violetta, is the heroine who is the

symbol of freedom for people.

MMmmmm

The general has a Napoleonic uniform.

He remembers the union of every carnival: once

each suburb had a different Carnival; under

the Napoleonic invasions, in 1808, the

generals united the carnivals .

The Phrygian cap worn during the carnival days dates back to Greek myths

During the French Revolution it became the symbol of rebellion against the tyrants.

rebellion against the tyrants

Mugnaia

The sound track of the Carnival is composed by pipes and the drums that, in a red jacket and green trousers, with Phrygian hat, anticipate the ‘’Mugnaia’’ in the parade.

The Mayor and the Lord Chancellor

The mayor represents the supreme chief of the governor of the common.The substitute Lord Chancellor, formal voice of manifestations, is dressed in black with a white shirt, a wig and a black hat cock-up. He is the guardian of the acts of Carnival for three days.

Storia Carnevale d’IvreaThe general is presented on 6th January, the Epiphany day, accompanied by

the fifes. Young boys and girls on hoseback, the “Abbà” represent the different districts.On Sunday before Carnival there is the reconciliation of the districts

“Borghetto” and “San Maurizio” that once quarrelled to get the power On Fat Thursday the general takes the power of the city , he visits the Bishop

and, in the evening, everybody dances in the ty streets wearing customs.

On Saturday the “mugnaia” (miller’s wife) - secret up to the last minute – appears on the town hall balcony.

Then there’s the procession of orange throwers (aranceri) and University goliardic groups, AUC created in 1924 and SOAS in 1961.

On Sunday every district distributes a typical Carnival dish, fat beans.On Sunday morning there is the preda in the Dora river, the podestà launches

one of the Castellazzo rocks into the river to celebrate the end of tyranny.In the Afternoon after the procession of “Mugnaia”, the orange battles starts

in all the squares.

Carnival recipes

Fat Beans Ingredients

•1 kg. of dry beans•1 large onion•400 g. of pork rind•1 or 2 pig feet•some sausage to be cooked•some cloves•1 stalk of celery•1 carrot•3 or 4 sprigs of rosemary•2 cloves of garlic•Nutmeg •salt •pepper

PreparationSoak the beans for at least 12 hours.After cleaning, washing and cutting pork rinds and legs sprinkle them with plenty of salt, roll them up tightly and tie with kitchen string for food.Add cloves in the onion.Mix the beans, the vegetables and all meat in the “tofeja”, a characteristic terracotta pot. Add water and put it in the oven for 6 hours at 160 degrees.When cooking is over, add rosemary and retrieves the needles, chop them finely with the cloves of garlic (peeled), then mix everything in the pot and stir.Salt and pepper to taste then serve the fat beans hot in personal bowls.

The teams on foot are now nine: Spades ’s Ace (1947), Death (1954) that fight in Piazza di Città; Tuchini (1964; Tucc one, and all for one, a motto during the anti-feudal revolts of the 14th century in Canavese) that fight alone in Borghetto; Chess (1964) and Scorpions (1966, symbol of Arduino from Ivrea the tyrant killed by Violetta) that fight in Piazza Ottinetti; Panther (1966), Devils (1973) and Mercenaries (1974) who perform in Piazza del Rondolino and Credendari (1989) fighters of Piazza Freguglia.

 TeamsAsso di Picche Spade Ace

Morte DeathTuchini TuchiniScacchi Chess

Scorpioni ScorpionsPantera Panther

Diavoli DevilsMercenari MercenariesCredendari Credendari

 

Spade Ace

Death

Tuchini

Chess

Scorpions

Panther

Devils

Mercenaries

Credendari

CartsThe carts of arancieri are about forty, all very finely decorated and

painted, and pulled by two or four horses.

The battle of the oranges was born in the period between 1930 -

1940 as a kind act: the girls threw flowers and vegetables from

balconies to the young boys who passed by.

Carlo Alberto who had an exotic taste, changed the tradition into

the battle of oranges.

Their red colour evokes the fight against tyranny.

The “Frigio” cap is compulsory: if you do not wear it the fighters

throw you the oranges.

Pic and Pala - The “pic e pala”, (axe and shovel), the last couple of spouses plant the “scarlo”, symbol of the Ivrea’s carnival (cockade).

Awards - On Shorve Tuesday there is the parades and the prize giving of the best team and wagons in the battle.

The scarlo - Carnival finishes with the burning of the “scarlo”.The “scarlo” is a heater pole placed in the squares of the district.

It represents the end of the Winter and it is a fertility ritual that dates backs to the 1300.

The Funeral March - The last “scarlo” is in “Borghetto”, followed by the procession of the end of the carnival with only one fife for the funeral march.

The last Shout - In Ottinetti square it is heard the last shout : See you on Tuesday at 1 o’clock for a new carnival.

Polenta and cod – On Ash Wednesday morning, in Lamarmora Square is given

polenta and cod to celebrate the start of Lent and fasting.