Florentine Calcho ( Italian. Calcio - “kick”) - a team sport, one of the “ancestors” of modern football and rugby . The ball is made of leather stuffed with goat hair, the size is close to basketball. The game is carried out on a sand field, 50x100 meters. At the same time, players are dressed according to the traditions of the game, preserved from the 16th century - pants according to the then fashion, while torso is left naked.
Content
Rules
The team of the calcio is played by 27 people. Most of the attackers called “innatsi” are 15 of them. They are divided into three categories of 5 people: left, center and right. The next 5 people are midfielders, or “Conchore”. They are followed by 4 Datori, or assistant defenders. And the defenders, or “datori adierte”, are 3 people. The goal of the game is to score as many goals as possible in any way. It is allowed to attack players of the opposing team who do not own the ball, using the techniques of fighting and fist fighting.
After one team scored a goal, they changed the goal. The team that scored a goal exulted, sang songs and carried their banners. At the head of the column was the author of the goal. The team that missed the goal was going down and with the banners lowered.
The game was controlled by “simple” referees, who were on a raised platform, and “supreme” judges. They entered the game when the “simple” referees, in their opinion, were mistaken.
One of the modern innovations is the presence on the site of a team of doctors who provide first aid to players directly on the field, without stopping the game.
Calcio Furnishings
Then there were also fans who were guarding the barrier. Those who lived in houses overlooking the venue watched the game from the windows. Calcho was very popular, and here is what Niccolo Machiavelli said:
| On holidays, your peers tend to walk around wearing masks, or play a calico. |
It is known that when the troops of the Pope approached the city, the inhabitants played anyway! It was February 17, 1530.
Calcio Teams
Four teams usually played: Santa Croce (blue), Santa Maria Novella (red), San Spirito (white) and San Giovanni (green). They represented the four historical quarters of the city.
Varieties of Calcho
There was a kind of calcho for the noble nobles - "triangulum". Paulo Cortese writes about her in a book published in 1911. This is how the triangulum is described:
| The game "triangulum", which uses a special Florentine ball stuffed with goat hair, seems more suitable for the participation of the most noble princes. This game, in turn, has four types: with a kick, from a triangle, next to a wall and above a stretched rope |
Calchio Books
In the mid-14th century, Antonio Skiano published the Treatise on the Game of the Ball. There, he developed the rules for controversial issues in the calcho. Also known is a manual written in 1580 by Giovanni de Bardi , who recommends doing sports exercises as a workout: in the summer it is better to go swimming , in the fall - horseback riding, in the winter - wrestling. Calcio competitions, according to Bardi, are best done in spring and autumn.
Interesting Facts
- The future Roman antipope Clement VII and Clement VIII , as well as Pope Leo XI, were considered good players in the calcho.
- They also played calcio in winter - on the frozen Arno River.
Literature
- Malov V .: I know the world. Football. Astrel, M. 2006
- Great Clubs, No. 12 (36), 2008.
- Around the World, No. 6 (2837), 2010.