A town in northern Italy has started celebrating carnival with its annual Battle of the Oranges, where people hurl the fruit at each other for fun.

The historic carnival in Ivrea, an old medieval town near Turin, celebrates the legend of Violetta, a miller’s daughter who freed people from a tyrant starving the town.

The colourful battle commemorates the uprising and is played between nine teams on foot, who represent the people who revolted, while the orange throwers on horse-drawn carriages represent the feudal armies.

The oranges used during the celebration are not suitable for sale, an organiser said, adding that they are collected and used for fertiliser after the event.