Italians are very passionate about their sport and the Florentine's
and Tuscans are no exception. Nowadays feudal fighting between
the neighbouring cities of Florence and Siena has been replaced
with spectacular traditional sporting events like the Calcio
in Costume Firenze and the Palio bareback horserace in Siena.
Both are absolute must sees and if you need advice on how
to get tickets for the events or help with travel arrangements
please do not hesitate to contact the reception staff of the Hotel Rex Florence who will only be too pleased
to help you. We can also help in organising match tickets
for AC Fiorentina football club.
Calcio in Costume
The Calcio in
Costume has been going on for over 600 years! Held
every June the matches are contested between
the 4 historical neighbourhoods of Florence. The teams wear
the colours of their quarters which are also the names for
four of the main churchces in Florence: blue for Santa
Croce, green for San Giovanni, red
for Santa Maria Novella, white for Santo
Spirito. There are two semi finals then the final
and all the games are played in honour of St. John, the city's
Patron Saint, whose feast is celebrated on June 24th. The
prize for the winning team is a calf.
The Calcio in Costume matches are held in the centre of the
square - usually Santa Croce but sometimes Piazza
della Signoria, which is covered in sand for the
occasion. The game itselfs reminds us more of rugby or American
football than our the modern version of soccer. The rules,
which have changed little since the 15th century, are practically
non-existent: kicking, shouldering, elbowing, punching and
blows below the belt, anything is allowed to enable the players
to get hold of the ball and attempt a "caccia",
in other words, to get the ball into the net of the adversary.
It is rumoured that special day release is granted to some
of the tougher inmates from Florence Prison to allow them to take part in the match.... Shots are fired
into the air with a culverin when a "caccia" is
scored and the atmosphere is so explosive that brawls and
broken noses abound, in spite of this the match is still well
worth going to see. See our concierge at the Hotel Rex for
advice on how to purchase tickets for the Calcio in Costume
Florence.
The Palio
Siena's
Palio is one of the most exciting spectacles in the
world: held twice a year (July 2 and August 16)
the city's contrade, or neighborhoods, hold a bareback horse
race around the town square in honor of the Virgin Mary. The
spectacle only lasts 3 circuits of the main square however,
the build up lasts nearly 5 hours as flag bearers and various
processions keep the crowd entertained. Entrance to
the Campo is free however, get there early if you
want a good view as the Palio is very crowded. Alternatively
you can pay for tickets and have a seat on one of the many
overlooking balconies. See our concierge at the Hotel Rex
Florence for advice on how to purchase tickets for the Palio
in Siena.
Fiorentina Football Club
Attendances and
results at the matches thus far have been good therefore if
you want to go along to see a match Fiorentina play every
Sunday. You can be guaranteed lots of excitement and hopefully
lots of goals. Ask at the Hotel Rex reception for information
on how to purchase tickets for the Fiorentina Football team
home matches in Florence.
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