Il Gioco del Ponte

Pisa was once queen of the seas, and when her sailors boarded enemy ships they carried the mazzascudo (shield-club), a weapon that served as both club and shield. It was a tricky weapon to use, and required practice: The young men of the city's two districts, Gallo and Gazza, would gather in what was then Piazza degli Anziani (the Old Men's Square, now Piazza Cavalieri) and hew at each other until only one side was left standing. People often died.

In the 1500s the Medici family thought to revive the competition, moving it to the bridge in the heart of town, and having the residents of the opposing banks (Tramontana to the north and Mezzogiorno to the south) compete for mastery of the bridge: thus was bornIl Gioco del Ponte. It began with unarmed men trying to push each other off the bridge, and rapidly developed into matches which men in armor tried to push each other off the bridge with poles. All Pisans considered it an honor to compete, and the Gioco del Ponte remained popular until the Queen of Etruria attended in 1807. Her comment, "It's too much too be a game, and not enough to be a war," put an end to the competition.

The game was revived in 1932 and was an enormous success with the Royals in 1935. However, there were brawls in 1936, and the rules have been changed repeatedly since then in an attempt to stop them. At present the Gioco del Ponte, which takes place on the last Sunday of June, is a reverse tug-of-war, in which each side struggles to push a sled off the bridge into its opponent's territory.

The Game begins with a parade in which the teams, Tramontana and Mezzogiorno, assemble at the bridge. Everyone is dressed in mediaeval finery and the site is spectacular. Each of the teams represents six neighborhoods, each of which assembles a squadron, called a Magistatura. The teams are directed by Generals who decide which Magistrature are to face off against each other, and if after 6 matches the result is tied the tiebreak is fought between the all stars of the two sides.

Getting there: Pisa is an hour's train ride from Florence. Il Gioco del Ponte draws about 70,000 spectators, who line the banks of the Arno to enjoy the show. The Parade begins at 4:00 PM; plan on getting there early to find a good place from which to watch.