Football, as a discipline albeit non properly sportive, but as a moment of show is born in Florence,in the period when "Florentia" was a Roman colony. A game which used to be the main attraction to celebrate particular festive occasions or extraordinary events, even is with slight nuances of meaning, has maintained this connotation in historical epochs.
Today Historical costume football matches represent a great tourist attraction, whereas for the city of Florence and all its "rioni", it's reminiscing journey into the past. It takes place during the festivities of the Hoy Patron of the Tuscan capital: San Giovanni Battista, which is on the 24th of June. During this occasion the four city rioni (neighbourhoods) face each other on the game terrain, in three relentless games, lasting 50 minutes each
The city with the respective supporters divides into four rioni (although once they were subdivided in districts) which have taken their name from the main church inside that constituency.
The rioni are recognised by the Florentines with the colour of their gonfalon:
Santo Spirito Rione "white"; Santa Croce Rione "blue"; San Giovanni Rione "green" and Santa Maria Novella Rione "red".
Normally three games are played: two direct qualifying ones and the final. But the show s not limited to the sole game, there is also a historical parade, where over five hundred costumed walk- ons, is an inspiring moment of historical Football.
A colour display explodes when the "Bandierai degli Uffizi" come into the square to spin the posters of the main "magistrature e degli uffici" that existed in 17th century Florentine Republic. At the end the Capitano di Guardia performs the collective greeting of the figures and introduces the prize for the victorious rione: the white heifer, which is now just a figure whereas once it was roasted during the celebrations of the winning rione.
The beginning of the game is marked by the explosion of a number of shots from the "colubrina", and at this point the fifty-four footballers come onto the field, twenty-seven for each part. For fifty minutes there are passes, aerial catches and huddles which liven up a game which is very felt by the rionali and by the players themselves.
The objective of the footballers is to score a "caccia": scoring in the opponents goal marked by a shot from the colubrina which sanctions the point. When time is up the rione that ends up with a greater number of cacce receives symbolically the white heifer which is taken by the whole footballers' team.
Florence Municipality
Historical Florentine Football (In Italian)
An image of Florentine Historical Football
