The Battle of the _______ is an annual food fight and festival in Ivrea, Italy.

In Italy, it is well known that The Battle of the Oranges is a festival in the Northern Italian city of Ivrea, which includes a tradition of throwing of oranges between organized groups. It is the largest food fight in Italy based upon the total number of people who participate.

During the Battle of the Oranges, the people in the town of Ivrea divide into nine squads, each with its own distinctive uniform. All the teams are supplied with crates of oranges. Teams will stand in the main square and await the arrival of the enemy; carts full of orange throwers are poised to strike. When the rival parties see each other, the fruit flies.

One important detail is that the people on the carts are decked out in armor, including face protecting helmets. Those who are part of the street squads are not. It is not uncommon to see people stumbling out of the square with orange induced injuries, such as black eyes, cuts, and the sting of citric acid in a wound.

This battle is believed to have got its start because in the 12th century an evil tyrant (marquis) attempted to rape a young woman in the town. He was instead decapitated by her. After her actions, people in the town stormed the tyrant's palace in revolt. It is this revolt, which is now symbolized every year by the Battle of the Oranges.