While I was in Florence on vacation few days ago, I had the opportunity to see the historic football ("Calcio storico fiorentino" in Italian language) parade, which went around the city until they reached Santa Croce square where the first semi-final match of the annual football tournament had to take place between red vs green team. I was really tempted to watch it during the afternoon, but my friend plans was already been decided and I had, unfortunately, to abandon that idea.

Sport born in the fifteenth century from Greek origins, later adopted also by the Romans, as explained by a man sitting in the stands on the evening when we passed in Santa Croce square, wandering around the city after dinner, today's commemoration is inspired by a siege to the city by the imperial troops of Charles V in 1530, during which the citizens, to diminish the attack, improvised a match. Over the centuries the rules of the game have changed considerably, currently there are two teams with 27 players each, which have different roles, similar to those of modern sports: defense (including goalkeepers), midfield and attack.

For the occasion, sand is brought to the playing field, of which, the final purpose is to put the ball in the net called "hunting" ("caccia" in Italian language), the greatest difficulty is the precision, the players must be careful not to make mistakes because the ball launched above the goal net (which extends over the entire stretch of the two stands of the field where there are the supporters of the two teams, like in football), including the opponents deviations, involve a penalty of half "caccia" for the opposing team, each "caccia" corresponds to a "goal" and to each of them the two teams must change field. Now the tournament of the four districts ("quattro quartieri" in Italian language) is played exclusively in Piazza Santa Croce, the field that has always been considered the most prestigious after the siege of 1530, before they were also played in "Santo Spirito" square, "Santa Maria Novella" square, and "Il Prato" (Florence's historic center west zone) the teams involved bring exactly four different-colored jersey: white, blue, red and green.

The similarity with rugby is quite visible, even if for an inexpert eye it might seem only a continuous fighting between players similar to the MMA, every athlete has a certain task, the challenge between them sometimes turn into fights, so there is a referee and at the center of the bottom network there is "the tent of the Captain and the Bishop" ("la tenda del Capitano e dell'Alfiere" in Italian language), the task of these two figures is to attend during possible brawls due to the excess of adrenaline of their teammates . Only one-on-one physical confrontations are allowed and only if the two players involved accept the challenge. The winning team has the right to place its flag in the opposing tent, moreover, the flag of the winning district of the tournament is displayed throughout the year in front of the "Palagio di Parte Guelfa", curious the prize awarded to the winning team of the tournament, to which the Master of the field ("Maestro di Campo" in Italian language) will give a Chianina heifer.