June 24 marks the date when Florence celebrates the feast day for its patron saint, John the Baptist. Piazza del Duomo – the city’s main square – contains a famous 11th century baptistery dedicated to the saint, who was considered the "symbol of moral rectitude and political correctness". Medieval Florence aspired to build its economic fortune upon these principles, but there is certainly nothing politically correct about the historic sport that takes place on this day every year in the Renaissance City.
Forty degree heat, blood, sweat and sand characterise Calcio Storico, a sport whose showpiece game takes place in Piazza Santa Croce this Saturday at 5pm. A cross between MMA and football, the aim is to get the ball in the opponent’s goal by any means necessary. This means that players can use both feet and hands, and the sport – one of the most brutal the world has ever seen – allows punching, elbowing, choking and headbutting, although no more than one player must attack at any one time.
Whilst the scale of violence of this Florentine sport with roots in the 16th century is inescapable, it is also impossible to miss the sense of history that is prevalent throughout the entire city. The events leading up to the match are always the same; a historic parade with bandiere (flag-bearers) and musicians in traditional costume making their way through the winding streets from Piazza Santa Maria Novella at 4pm to their destination of Piazza Santa Croce before the match commences at 5pm.
The competition traditionally begins on Easter Sunday, when the semi-finals are drawn between the four teams (blue, white, red, green) with coloured balls as part of the Scoppio Del Carro (exploding of the cart) firework celebrations outside the Duomo in the main square. After the Azzurri (blues) were disqualified for violence towards the referee in the semi, this year will see two-time winners Bianchi (white) face Rossi (red) in front of the packed temporary stands in the square.
“The urban environment of the historic centre of Florence remains almost untouched and the surrounding hills provide a perfect harmonious backdrop,” a UNESCO report into the city’s World Heritage Site status concludes. “This landscape maintains its Tuscan features, adding to its value.”
Concluding that “Seven hundred years of cultural and artistic blooming are tangible today” in the in the city, its history is “further evident in the artistic works of great masters such as Giotto, Brunelleschi, Botticelli and Michelangelo.” For this reason alone it is not difficult to see why the city’s streets are packed full of tourists on a daily basis. But there is a big problem here, as UNESCO duly notes.
“Many of the threats to the historic centre relate to the impact of mass tourism, such as urban traffic air pollution, and of the decreasing number of residents,” the report concludes.
What does this have to do with Calcio Storico? The answer is everything.
The locals who have their roots firmly in the city and its rich history are deservedly proud and fiercely protect its legacy in the face of such fervent interest from what they see as “outsiders”. Just like Fiorentina, their football team, Florentines uphold the traditions brought about by Calcio Storico as something extremely sacred.
“The Bianchi are like my second family,” said one of their players Raffaele D’Eligio during at their training ground back in 2014. “It’s an honour to represent a beautiful city like Florence and to play for this great team.”
There is one solitary Englishman named James Zikic that plays for that side, and those who live in the city have only accepted this due to his willingness to learn about their history and to embrace their culture.
“I chose Calcio Storico because this is the ultimate sport. There’s elements of fighting, Mixed Martial Arts, rugby, football, everything,” MMA fighter James said during that same interview. “There’s a long history to Calcio Storico, and this is why I appreciate it.”
“I believe the Bianchi are the best team, they are like family. They have such a good comradeship that they don’t have in the other colours, they don’t have the same atmosphere, so I’m glad I chose to play for them. You feel that focus and adrenaline. You push all the emotions out and just focus on the job.”
Some of the younger players speak of “fear” of facing their opponents just before the match starts, but the long-serving “Calciante” dismiss this out of hand, believing the sport is very different than one-on-one combat. “Never fear, just tension,” Stefano Sebastiani said. “I just wait for a cigarette once the match has finished,” he laughs.
Such extreme violence is always going to catch the attention of the public at large, but it is merely one part of being true to the sport’s history. Even the prize for the tournament winners is a Tuscan “Chianina” cow which is divided up and cooked into the regional speciality “Bistecca alla Fiorentina” feeding the entire team afterwards. Given all of this long-standing history, it is only fitting that the final word goes to one of the men who will be taking to the field for the Bianchi this Saturday.
“The beautiful thing about Calcio Storico is that is it the last surviving tradition,” Calciante Fabrizio Valleri – a season ticket holder in Fiorentina’s Curva Fiesole – told La Nazione this week. “It’s a shame that the violence is talked about so much. For us Florence is the most beautiful city in the world. Seeing it depopulated by Florentines makes me feel bad. Because a city is not only defined by its monuments and churches, but by its people.”
