20 August 2026
Florence
In the breathtaking setting of Piazza Santa Croce, specially silted up for the occasion, the Florentine Calcio Storico is a legendary tradition that every visitor should definitely not miss.
Beware, however: one must visit the city of Florence in the month of June, which hosts the celebrations for St. John, the patron saint that is, to take part in the curious festivities.
St. John's: for a June 24 of merriment and celebration
On the occasion of the feast of the city's patron saint, a day of true celebration for every true Florentine, the entire historic center becomes a colorful open-air festival.
Banners, flags, historical revisitations and festivities-you won't see any other day of the year a Florence so full of color enthusiasm and desire to celebrate.
June 24 somehow marks the beginning of summer, the time when little ones stop going to schools for summer vacation and enjoy the most carefree time of the year.
June 24 is an important date for young and old, religious and secular, residents and visitors alike: it is a time of shared merriment when the most authentic and purest spirit of Florentinity can be fully felt.
Historic soccer: a unique spectacle
With the colors of the 4 districts of the Florentine historic center, white, green, blue and red, (each linked to an iconic basilica of the city) the teams of soccer players who play in the June semi-finals and finals (on the 24th itself) of the most anticipated match of the year in the square of Santa Croce-which becomes a real playing field/arena-they prepare strenuously every day for the event.
The drawing of pair pairings of teams takes place during the Bursting of the Chariot at Easter, but Historical Football, in addition to the aspect of tradition and color that has been kept alive over the years, is felt and experienced precisely as a discipline by those who play it: these are challenges not at all similar to soccer as it is played now as much as they are to rugby.
The force used in this event is quite extreme. In the "hunt" one must score maximum points, and the competitions are played with no holds barred.
The June 24 final is a moment where sporting tension soars, people gather in the square from the early hours of the morning, making predictions, cheering for their "players" in a goliardic spirit of understanding that makes the city of Florence proud and boastful.
Historic soccer, in fact, over the centuries represents the desire of Florentines to go out into the streets and play, despite conquests and dominations such as when in 1530 the inhabitants of the historic center, despite the terrible imperial siege by Charles V, took to the streets and took to playing as a form of mockery, a way to "resist" or disobey.
A Florentine June between traditions and play
So those visiting Florence in June cannot miss this incredible tradition, feeling part of the social and cultural fabric of the city for an authentic tourist experience full of pathos. Throughout.
