Calcio Fiorentino

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Illustration of a game of Calcio Fiorentino from Harald er stjerna 1688


Renaissance era[edit]

Calcio was reserved for rich aristocrats who played every night between Epiphany and Lent.[1] Even Popes, such as Clement VII, Leo XI and Urban VIII were known to play the sport in Vatican City. The games were known to get violent as teams vied with each other to score goals. This game was probably played already in the 15th century, so much that some matches were organized on a completely frozen over Arno river in 1490. In a historically famous occasion, the city of Florence held a match on February 17, 1530 in defiance of the imperial troops sent by Charles V, as the city was under siege . In 1574 Henry III of France attended a game of "bridge fighting" - put on in his honor during a visit to Venice; the king is recorded as saying: "Too small to be a real war and too cruel to be a game".[2]


Field in Piazza Santa Croce.
Match Between Azzurri and Rossi in 2008.

Modern revival[edit]

Interest in Calcio waned in the early 17th century. However in 1930 it was reorganized as a game in Kingdom of Italy.[1] Today, three matches are played each year in Piazza Santa Croce in Florence in the 3rd week of June. A team from each quartiere of the city is represented:

  • Santa Croce / Azzurri (Blues)
  • Santa Maria Novella / Rossi (Reds)
  • Santo Spirito / Bianchi (Whites)
  • San Giovanni / Verdi (Greens)



Matches last 50 minutes and are played on a field covered in sand, twice as long as it is wide. A white line divides the field into two identical squares, and a goal net runs the width of each end. Each team has 27 players with no substitutions. The teams are made up of four Datori indietro (goalkeepers), 3 Datori innanzi (fullbacks), 5 Sconciatori (halfbacks), 15 Innanzi o Corridori (forwards). The Captain and Standard Bearer's tent sits at the center of the goal net. They do not actively participate in the game, but can organize their teams and sometimes act as referees, mainly to calm down their players or to stop fights.

The Referee and his six linesmen referee the match, in collaboration with the Judge Commissioner, who remains off the field. Above everyone else, is the Master of the Field. He makes sure the games runs smoothly, stepping into the field only to maintain discipline and reestablish order in case of a fight on the field.


From this moment on, the players try by any means necessary to get the ball into the opponents' goal also called caccia. The teams change sides with every caccia scored. It's important to shoot with precision, because every time a player misses the opposing team is awarded with half a caccia. The game ends after 50 minutes and the team which scored the most cacce wins.

The prize is also interesting, because along with the Palio, the winning team receives a Chianina Cow.

See also[edit]


  2. ^ "A Point of View: Sporting spectacle on the piazza". BBC NEWS. 12 July 2013. 

External links[edit]

Coordinates: 43°46′08″N 11°15′42″E﻿ / ﻿43.76880°N 11.26160°E﻿ / 43.76880; 11.26160