Italians throw fruit for annual Battle of the Oranges

March 4 (UPI) -- Thousands of people took to the streets of an Italian village to pelt each other with fruit as part of the annual Battle of the Oranges.

Officials said more than 500 tons of oranges were imported from Sicily to Ivrea for the annual event, which is part of the Carnival of Ivrea.

Local legend holds that a young girl decapitated a tyrannical baron in the 12th century when he attempted to coerce her into sex on the night before her wedding. The girl paraded the baron's head through the town, sparking a peasant uprising, the story states.

Each year a girl is chosen to portray "Violetta," the girl from the story, and lead the event.

The food fight is scheduled to last for a total three days, ending Tuesday.