"The first thing you'll see is a maelstrom of red hats. Violetta and the crowd wear long, bright red, Phrygian hats symbolizing freedom. They come from far away. They're called berretti di Frigia or berretti frigi, from the ancient area of Phrygia, in what is now Turkish Anatolia. They used to be worn by the worshippers of the sun. They were then worn, in ancient Rome, by emancipated slaves and finally became one of the symbols of the French Revolution: the red bonnet meant Liberté. When you walk around with a red hat in Ivrea, people say you're wearing the berretto frigio and therefore you must be free to pass unharmed. The red hat means you won't be throwing oranges and therefore no one will throw oranges at you. If you're near the battle areas (even if you're behind the protective nets) you'll still get orange shrapnel, but no direct hits."
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