Historic Florentine football

During the course of the year, numerous folkloristic events of some interest are held in Florence. Among them, one of the most fascinating and spectacular is the historic florentine football (calcio storico fiorentino, also known as calcio in livrea or calcio in costume). Basically, it is a sport played outdoors that mixes elements of football, rugby and wrestling.

Its origins are very ancient. This practice probably originated in the same way as another game, Harpastum (literally ‘tear by force’), practised by Roman legionaries as early as the 1st century BC and characterised by very physical fights between teams for possession of a ball of rags. Although widespread in late medieval Florence, the first official records date back to the end of the 15th century. At that time, young Florentines practised it in every street or square. There are many games mentioned in the city’s history, but the most famous one was certainly the one played on 17 February 1530, when the citizens, exhausted by hunger and the siege of Charles V, took to the piazza and started playing football, in mockery of the enemy. The popularity of this game lasted until the end of the 17th century, only to return ‘in fashion’ in the 1930s. Historical football has been played every year since then, with very few exceptions.

Nowadays, the game is based, at least in broad outline, on the rules of the 16th century, summarised in a special document by Giovanni de’ Bardi in 1580. A game lasts 50 minutes and involves two teams, each consisting of 27 kickers strictly dressed in typical Renaissance costumes, who challenge each other on a large sandy ground set up in Piazza Santa Croce. The aim of the game is to carry by all means (feet, hands and even physical combat) the ball to the back of the opponent’s field and deposit it in the net, thus scoring the ‘hunt’ (goal). The team that scores the most hunts wins. Despite the decidedly less violent connotations of the past, there is still a no holds barred fight.

Each year, a tournament is organised involving the four historical quarters of Florence, corresponding to the city’s main basilicas: the Whites of Santo Spirito, the Blues of Santa Croce, the Greens of San Giovanni (Duomo) and the Reds of Santa Maria Novella. The winning team is awarded a Chianina heifer as a prize. The semi-finals are held over one weekend in the first half of June while the finals are played on 24 June, the day on which the city’s patron saint, St John the Baptist, is also celebrated. All matches are preceded by the parade of the Historical Procession of the Florentine Republic, which, after passing through the streets of the centre, reaches Piazza Santa Croce.

Featured photo © Feel Florence | Photo gallery © G. Monasta – Comune di Firenze