Florence: Calcio Storico

Piazza Santa Croce Florence, Italy

Calcio Storico, a 500-year-old sport described as a cross between football (soccer), rugby, and boxing, dates back to the 1500s. Today, three games are held in June -- two semifinals and a final match -- to correspond with St. John's Day, the Patron Saint of Florence. Four teams of 27 people, to represent the four districts of Florence, also represent ...