Sport
Sport
The city of Florence , or Firenze , is home to great architecture and monuments , Renaissance art and countless museums . Renowned globally for its culture and history , it is surprising that few know of the violent , blood thirsty yet thrilling game that is Calcio Fiorentino .
A mixture of football , rugby and wrestling , the game originated from Florence in the 16th century . It is still played today annually by the four historical neighbourhood teams in two semi-final games , followed by a final game to determine that year ’ s champion . The winning team takes home a Chianina calf , so the stakes are high . The teams are Santa Croce in blue , Santo Spirito in white , Santa Maria Novella in red , and San Giovanni in green . It is played in Piazza Santa Croce , located directly in front of the church Santa Croce – the beautiful landmark is in stark contrast to the violence that takes place . The square is filled with dirt to transform it to what it once was when the game was first played and nowadays stands are set up so that spectators can get a good view .
But how does the game really work ? The official rules of Calcio Fiorentino , or Calcio Storico as it is also known , were first published by the Florentine count Giovanni de ’ Bardi in 1580 . Originally it was a game solely for aristocrats and those of a high social class and took place every night between Epiphany and Lent . There is a main referee , six linesmen and a field master . Each game is 50 minutes with the
winner being the team with the most points or ‘ cacce ’ scored . 50 minutes may not seem like a long time , but once you ’ ve
witnessed the barbarity and ferocity of the game it is completely understandable why you wouldn ’ t want to play for longer !