The San Giovanni Feast and the Soccer in Costume

Author: Serena

The 24th of June in Florence there is the celebration of the San Giovanni Feast. This event coincides with the final competition of the “Soccer in Costume”: this is a lively medieval version of soccer that takes place in Santa Croce square. Then at 22:00 p.m. you can admire the fireworks watching them from the Santa Trinità Bridge: from this point you can see this spectacular pyrotechnic show having the Ponte Vecchio in the foreground.

The pyrotechnic show

Soccer in Costume

This is one of the most historical Florentine game that, despite its name, has nothing to do with the real soccer. The origins of this game date back to the Roman age when in the camps soldiers used to train for wars through exercises aimed at improving their legs and arms muscles using a ball.

The Soccer in Costume

After a brief interruption in the Nineteenth century, from the year 1930 this manifestation occurs every year at the end of June. The participants belong to the biggest four districts of Florence and the game starts only at the end of a long parade in costume to the cries of “Long Live Florence”.