There is much more than just the Leaning Tower and Pizza dei Miracoli in the splendid city of Pisa! Statues, ancient buildings, beautiful churches and centuries of a unique history are the features that distinguish Pisa from any other city in the world.
In fact, Pisa was an important "City State" in the thirteenth century, as well as a rich "Maritime Republic" that has dominated the Tyrrhenian and the Mediterranean Sea for several decades. The pride of belonging to this noble city has never completely disappeared, neither after the territorial conquest by Florence in the 16th century.
One of the strongest symbols of the so-called "pisanity" is the Game of the Bridge, an annual event where two quarters of the city called "Mezzogiorno" and "Tramontana" face each other to conquer "Ponte di Mezzo", the main city bridge that also symbolizes the dominion over the whole city. It is a unique event in the world that was born in the 16th century that is considered part of the Tuscan culture. Ready to discover more about it?
The "Gioco del Ponte" is a tremendous event in which 240 men divided into teams of twenty "fighters" face off
pushing a heavy cart with their back, to take it to the opposite side of the bridge.
The first edition was held on February 22, 1568 and was completely different from the current one. In fact, it was the so-called "War with the Stones", a popular type of combat in Florence that was later banned by Francis I. Later, the event turned into the "Gioco del Mazzascudo", that is to say a battle of fighters equipped with armor, bats and shields taking place for a whole day.
As time passed, Pisans started to appreciate this event, which started to undergo some transformations. Initially, the Game became a complex combat with soldiers and small towers that served as a training for the war. There were thousands of participants and the battle tended to be very bloody. In 1785 the Game was suspended by the Grand Duke of Tuscany and it did not take place in the following 150 years, until the period of fascism.
Since 1957, the Game has been organized every year and it has completely changed its characteristics. Now, it's a non-violent event based on the competition between two teams of 20 fighters that must push of a large wooden trolley on rails on the other side of the bridge. Teams are led by a "Captain" who shouts his commands, just like the captains of the great Pisant ships of the 13th century did with their crew.
The Game of the Bridge takes place every year on the last Saturday of June and includes two parts, the "Historic Procession" and the "Battle" . More than 700 participants attend the parade where each one has a specific role and wears typical Renaissance costumes. The main moment of the Game takes place at night, under the light of thousands of torches put on the streets and next to the Arno river. The atmosphere is very lively, as thousands of Pisans and tourists watch the battle with passion, enthusiasm and transport.
This is an event you cannot miss! This year, the Game of the Bridge will take place on June 30 and tens of thousands of people are expected to participate.
Wouldn't you like to take part to it? Book one of our holiday rentals near Pisa, like Flavia or Il Fienile di Giovanna and discover this wonderful Italian tradition!
© Alice Pilastri
