Illustration of a Calcio Fiorentino Match
source: Wikimedia Commons
author: Alexander Cecchini
Description
A black and white illustration shows a sports match in an open city center surrounded by buildings. A large number of men stand on the field in formation, each team mirroring the other. Guards with halberds or pikes stand around the field at various intervals, and crowds watch from the sidelines. The caption, followed by its translation here, is as follows:
“VEDUTA DELLA PIAZZA DI. Sta. CROCE DELLA CITTA DI FIRENZE NEL ATTO DI PRINCIPIARE IL GIOCO DEL CALCIO STa. 1688″
“View of the square of the holy cross of the city of Florence in the act of beginning the game of football [?] 1688”
Date
Illustration: 1688
Information
This illustration depicts a match of calcio fiorentino, a Renaissance era Italian sport with similarities to soccer, handball, and rugby. This image provides an example of the large numbers of players on each team and some of the basic formations used.
This illustration was scanned from a copy of Memorie del Calcio Fiorentino, an in-depth text on calico fiorentino published in 1688.
Related Articles
Calcio Fiorentino | History of Soccer | History of Football (American) | History of Rugby Football | History of Ball Sports
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Guttmann, A. (2007). Sports: The first five millennia. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press.
Parrish, C., & Nauright, J. (2014). Soccer around the world: A cultural guide to the world’s favorite sport. ABC-CLIO.
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