Month : June
Place : Piazza Santa (Florence), Italy
Famous For : Sports (Football) Festival
Attractions : Football wuth Bare-Knuckle Fighting, Game is held in a Giant Sand Pit, Conciliatory Costumed Celebration and Feast
Calcio Storico is one of the most ancient football festival celebrated till date. The celebrations include three games are played in late June and early July each year in honor of Florence's Patron Saint. It's held in Italian city of Florence every year. Based on Calcio Fiorentino - which was an early form of football that originated in 16th century, the festival of Calcio Storico was revived in 20th century after a gap of 200 years in the year 1930.
The Calcio Storico involves playing the game of football with real passion and combined with bare-knuckle fighting. It traces its origin back in 1530, when four Florentine teams played each other in rebellion against the occupying French. The town of Piazza Santa Croce of Florence city was the epicenter of this sport which was known by the name of giuoco del calcio fiorentino ("Florentine kick game") or simply calcio ("kick"). In 1580, a Florentine count Giovanni de' Bardi published the official rules of Calcio for the first time in history. The game was to be played in teams of 27, using both feet and hands. Goals could be scored by throwing the ball over a designated spot on the perimeter of the field. The game was held in a giant sand pit with a goal running the width of each end. A main referee, six linesmen and a field master constituted the match officials. The durations of one game was 50 minutes and the team with the most points or 'cacce' was declared as winner. In recent times, the festival celebrations include three matches played each year. The modern version allows tactics such as head-butting, punching, elbowing, and choking, but forbids sucker punching and kicks to the head. The games are followed by 16th Century-themed parades of foot soldiers, bands and local dignitaries with participants dresses in colorful period costume. The whole event is concluded with a conciliatory costumed celebration and feast.
