Arancia Rossa

« If bergamot is elegant, lemon energetic, mandarin joyful, the orange is solar and tragic in its destiny. The town of Ivrea, not far from Turin, commemorates its historic Carnival every February with a battle of oranges. In the past, Portugal's 1801 defeat by Spain took the name of the War of the Oranges, because Prince Manuel Godoy y Álvarez de Faria sent his mistress the queen baskets of fruit to celebrate the victory. The oranges' revenge was that, in perfumery, they were long called Portugal. As for Carmen, the tragic ending of Bizet's opera unfolds in the Real Maestranza de Caballería in Seville, while outside the chorus of vendors sings to the crowd surging into the arena. Of all the stories, the one I prefer is the gift of oranges at Christmas — a message to say that winter's end is near. The orange, a rebellious fruit the colour of summer. » — Jean-Claude Ellena