Once upon a time there was a city under siege, submissive to the will of the enemy: once upon a time in Firenze in 1530, invaded by the troops of Charles V, the army wanted to bring back the Medici in Firenze.
The Calcio Storico Fiorentino was born here, in piazza Santa Croce, on 17 February 1530 by a group of people who is said to have found themselves in the game ball. For some with the simple aim of getting distracted by the occupation of the Spanish army, for others wanting to taunt the enemy.
Hence the pretext to invent one of the oldest in Italy, recalling every year the match of February 1530: the most important, because it gave way to the most important tradition in the city, which is still valued for its cultural value.
The event, created to taunt the Spaniards in the typical spirit takes on even more importance the jocular dei fiorentini, 24 June each year during the Festival of San Giovanni.
Everybody knows the Calcio Storico Fiorentino, but not all the tidbits that are hiding behind this event.
The pair for the two semifinals
Before the games begin, the Bishop of Florence you raffle crews from four marble eggs, each of the color of the historic district and then bless the captains.
The costumes that players and actors are at the event
Calcio Storico is also known as football in Costume, or calcium in livery for Renaissance clothing using players when it took to the field. The figures that parade, represent the ancient dresses with lori institutions of the Republic of Florence.
Special challenges
Those who saw the participation of some famous figures such as the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo II de ' Medici and Pope Leo XI, and the matches played in unusual locations: Arno frozen over in 1490, in Rome in 1570 and even abroad, in Lyon in 1575.
The charm of the anecdotes and the tradition of a city, the four teams, each in defense of the historical districts of Firenze began the battle.
- The Azzurri di Santa Croce, in honor of the Basilica of the square, traditionally the most successful
- The Bianchi of Santo Spirito, which take its name from the Church
- The Verdi of San Giovanni, whose name derives from the Battistero of the Cattedrale of Firenze
- The Verdi of Santa Maria Novella, with the name originating from the Basilica
Teams of strictly from players or Florentine residing in the city for at least 10 years with the sole objective of "caccia", launching the ball into the net as long as the short side of the field. A challenge, made difficult by the ardor of the men of midfield, the "sconciatori", careful to lock the movement of the ball by obstructing the "corridori", the point men. Each fighter has 1 point, but to fail it is expensive, because it gives 0.5 point to opponents.
Waiting for recall the 1530 "match of the siege", in the Final of June 24 the four historical neighborhoods are challenged to the conquest of a painted palio to hand and a "vitella of race chianina", but above all of the prestige and of the honor.
Photo Credits [calciostoricofiorentino.it]
Map