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''Calcio Fiorentino'' (also known as ''calcio storico'' "historic football") is an early form of football ( soccer and
rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...
) that originated during the Middle Ages in Italy. Once widely played, the sport is thought to have started in the ''
Piazza Santa Croce Piazza Santa Croce is one of the main plazas or squares located in the central neighbourhood of Florence, in the region of Tuscany, Italy. It is located near Piazza della Signoria and the National Central Library, and takes its name from the B ...
'' in Florence. There it became known as the ''giuoco del calcio fiorentino'' ("Florentine kick game") or simply ''calcio'', which is now also the name for association football in the Italian language. The game may have started as a revival of the Roman sport of
harpastum , also known as , was a form of ball game played in the Roman Empire. The Romans also referred to it as the small ball game. The ball used was small (not as large as a , , or football-sized ball) and hard, probably about the size and solidity of ...
.


History


Renaissance Era

Calcio was reserved for rich aristocrats who played every night between
Epiphany Epiphany may refer to: * Epiphany (feeling), an experience of sudden and striking insight Religion * Epiphany (holiday), a Christian holiday celebrating the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ ** Epiphany season, or Epipha ...
and Lent.Halpern, J. ''Balls and Blood'', Sports Illustrated. Vol 109, No. 4: August 4, 2008, p. 42. Even popes, such as
Clement VII Pope Clement VII ( la, Clemens VII; it, Clemente VII; born Giulio de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. Deemed "the ...
,
Leo XI Pope Leo XI ( it, Leone XI; 2 June 153527 April 1605), born Alessandro Ottaviano de' Medici, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1 April 1605 to his death in April 1605. His pontificate is one of the briefest in hi ...
and
Urban VIII Pope Urban VIII ( la, Urbanus VIII; it, Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death in July 1644. As po ...
, played the sport in Vatican City. The games could get violent as teams vied to score goals. A variation of Calcio Fiorentino was most likely played in the 15th century as well, as a match was organized on the
Arno The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber. Source and route The river originates on Monte Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a ...
river in 1490, notable as a day so cold the waters were completely frozen. On another famous occasion, the city of Florence held a match on February 17, 1530, in defiance of the imperial troops sent by
Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infan ...
, as the city was under siege. The "noble game" was played in
Piazza Santa Croce Piazza Santa Croce is one of the main plazas or squares located in the central neighbourhood of Florence, in the region of Tuscany, Italy. It is located near Piazza della Signoria and the National Central Library, and takes its name from the B ...
, only by distinguished soldiers, lords, noblemen and princes. 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". A version of rules for the game were first recorded by
Giovanni de' Bardi Giovanni de' Bardi (5 February 1534 – September 1612), Count of Vernio, was an Italian literary critic, writer, composer and soldier. Biography Giovanni de' Bardi was born in Florence. While he received a deep classical education, becoming p ...
in the late 16th century.


Modern revival

Interest in ''Calcio'' waned in the early 17th century. However, in 1930 it was reorganized as a game in Kingdom of Italy, under
Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...
. It was widely played by amateurs in streets and squares using handmade balls of cloth or animal skin. Today, three matches are played each year in ''Piazza Santa Croce'' in Florence in the third week of June. A team from each ''
quartiere A (; plural: ) is a territorial subdivision of certain Italian towns. The word derives from (‘fourth’) and was thus properly used only for towns divided into four neighborhoods by the two main roads. It has been later used as a synonymous ...
'' of the city is represented: * Santa Croce / Azzurri (Blues) *
Santa Maria Novella Santa Maria Novella is a church in Florence, Italy, situated opposite, and lending its name to, the city's main railway station. Chronologically, it is the first great basilica in Florence, and is the city's principal Dominican church. The ch ...
/ Rossi (Reds) * Santo Spirito / Bianchi (Whites) * San Giovanni / Verdi (Greens) After playing each other in two opening games, the two overall winners go into the yearly final on June 24, the feast of San Giovanni ( St. John), the Patron Saint of Florence. For decades, this violent match has resulted in severe injuries, including death. During the early decades, in order to encourage wagering and achieve a bettable winner, there were times when bulls would be ushered into the ring in hopes of adding confusion and inciting victory. The modern version of ''calcio'' has not changed much from its historical roots, which allow tactics such as head-butting, punching, elbowing, and choking. However, due to often fatal injuries,
sucker punch A sucker punch (American English), also known as a dog shot, coward punch, king hit or one-punch attack (Australian and New Zealand English) or cold-cock (American English), is a punch made without warning or while the recipient is distracted, ...
es and kicks to the head are currently banned. It is also prohibited for more than one player to attack an opponent. Any violation leads to being expelled from the game. The most successful team since regular records have been kept is Santa Croce / Azzurri (Blues) with 20 tournament wins. Tournaments have been cancelled on several occasions due to violence or foul play. These incidents have lead to major rule changes such as ensuring players are born in Florence (or have resident for at least ten years) and excluding players that have criminal convictions. .*Exhibition match between a Rossi & Azzurri team consisting of players from multiple districts. A full tournament was not held this year.


Rules

Matches last 50 minutes and are played on a field covered in sand, twice as long as it is wide (approximately ). 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 and no substitutions are allowed for injured or expelled players. The teams are made up of four ''datori indietro'' (goalkeepers), three ''datori innanzi'' (fullbacks), five ''sconciatori'' (halfbacks), 15 ''innanzi'' or ''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 occasionally act as ''caccas'' (referees), mainly to calm down their players or to stop fights. The referee and the six linesmen officiate the match in collaboration with the judge commissioner, who remains off the field. The referee, above everyone else, is the master of the field, and is responsible for making sure the game runs smoothly, stepping into the field only to maintain discipline and reestablish order when fights occur. Shots from a small cannon or ''colubrine'' announces the beginning of the event. The game starts when the ''pallaio'' throws and kicks the ball toward the center line, then at the first whistle as the ball first rests on field, 15 forwards or ''corridori'', begin fighting in a wild mixed martial arts match- punching, kicking, tripping, hacking, tackling, and wrestling with each other in an effort designed to tire opponents' defenses, but which often descends into an all-out brawl. They try to pin and force into submission as many players possible. Once there are enough incapacitated players, the other teammates come and swoop up the ball and head to the goal. 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'' or goal scored. It is important to shoot with precision, because every time a player throws or kicks the ball above the net, the opposing team is awarded with a half ''caccia''. The game ends after 50 minutes and the team which scored the most ''cacce'' wins. Along with the ''palio'', the winning team used to receive a
Chianina The Chianina () is an Italian breed of large white cattle. It was formerly principally a draught breed; it is now raised mainly for beef. It is the largest and one of the oldest cattle breeds in the world. The ''bistecca alla fiorentina'' is p ...
, a type of pure-bred cow. However, this has been reduced to a free dinner for the winning team; the players earn no other compensation.


In popular culture

The comic book series ''
Bitch Planet ''Bitch Planet'' is an American comic book published by Image Comics, created by writer Kelly Sue DeConnick and artist Valentine De Landro. The series is a feminist portrayal of the exploitation film genre and takes place in a dystopian reality ...
'' includes an event titled "Duemila" or "Megaton"; in issue #4 the event is described: "Megaton is one of many modern descendants of Calcio Fiorentino, a 16th century Italian sport... Teams may have any number of players, but their combined weight can be no more than !" In the 2017 film '' Lost In Florence'',
Brett Dalton Brett Patrick Dalton (born January 7, 1983) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Grant Ward and Hive in ABC's series ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'', as well as Michael Munroe in the 2015 video game ''Until Dawn''. Early life Dalton gr ...
plays a former college football star who travels to Italy and becomes involved in playing Calcio Fiorentino. In episode 4, "Judgement Day" of the TV series, ''Medici: Masters of Florence'', the main characters engage in a game of Calcio Fiorentino in the main square of Florence during a flashback sequence. In the sixth episode from the second season of Syfy Channel's HAPPY! (titled "Pervapalooza"), the demon Orcus references Calcio Storico while trapped inside Blue Scaramucci's body. (Original airdate 5/1/2019) ''
The Mirror and the Light ''The Mirror & The Light'' is an historical novel by the English writer Hilary Mantel. Following ''Wolf Hall'' (2009) and ''Bring Up the Bodies'' (2012), it is the final instalment in her trilogy charting the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, min ...
'',
Hilary Mantel Dame Hilary Mary Mantel ( ; born Thompson; 6 July 1952 – 22 September 2022) was a British writer whose work includes historical fiction, personal memoirs and short stories. Her first published novel, '' Every Day Is Mother's Day'', was relea ...
's novel about Thomas Cromwell, contains a description of an early 16th-century game of , emphasising its brutality. Episode 1 of the 2020 Netflix series ''
Home Game In sports, home is the place and venue identified with a team sport. Most professional teams are named for, and marketed to, particular metropolitan areas; amateur teams may be drawn from a particular region, or from institutions such as sch ...
'' is dedicated to Calcio Storico, featuring behind-the-scenes player vignettes contemporary to the 2019 Reds-versus-Whites final match. In addition to providing historical information, the episode depicts interviews with players from both teams.Hall, Daniel R - Home Game (Series) https://www.netflix.com/title/80227160


See also

* Football in Italy *
Rugby union in Italy Rugby union in Italy is governed by the Italian Rugby Federation. Rugby was introduced into Italy in the early 1900s. It is also known as ''pallovale'' or ''palla ovale'' ("oval ball") within Italy. Two Italian professional teams (Treviso and ...
*
Takanakuy Takanakuy (Quechua for "to hit each other") is an annual established practice of fighting fellow community members held on 25 December, by the inhabitants of Chumbivilcas Province, near Cuzco in Peru. The practice started in Santo Tomás, the c ...
, fighting festival in Peru *
Volata Volata ("flow") is a code of football developed and promoted by Italian fascists for a brief period during the late 1920s and early 1930s, in an attempt to displace sports with non-Italian origins, such as association football (soccer) and rugby u ...


References


External links


Calcio Storico: Everything You Need to KnowHistory of Soccer from ExpertFootball.com

Video: Calcio Storico Fiorentino Mini-Documentary

Video: GEO Reportage "Florenz, Fussball bis aufs Blut"

Video: Florence Fight Club

Photo gallery: parade and match on 24 June 2008
{{Authority control Traditional football Sports festivals in Italy History of Florence Sport in Florence Sports originating in Italy Historical competitions of Italy