IVREA, Italy: Thousands of people poured onto the cobblestone streets of a northern Italian town on Sunday (Feb 26) to throw oranges at a makeshift monarchy, a tradition dating back more than 150 years.

The juicy battle in Ivrea is part of the town's yearly carnival, which recreates a centuries-old revolt by commoners against the monarchy. The three-day carnival kicked off Sunday and ends the day before Ash on Wednesday, the first day of Lent in the Christian calendar.