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Florence, Italy - About the City - Holidays and FestivalsHoliday and School ClosuresThere are thirteen holidays observed annually in Florence. Banks, shops, and the schools usually remain closed. These dates are some of the heaviest travel days for Italians. If you plan on traveling on or near these holidays make sure to plan ahead.
Feriale = Weekday; Monday - Saturday
Local Traditional EventsScoppio del Carro (Explosion of the Cart) - Easter Sunday The Scoppio del Carro Procession
In Florentine history, the Pazzi family are infamous for the murder of Giuliano de' Medici, brother to Lorenzo the Magnificent which took place in 1478 during mass in the Cathedral (Duomo) of Florence. It is the same Pazzi family who are responsible for making the cart explode on Easter Sunday. According to the legend, Pazzino de' Pazzi brought back flints taken from the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem on his return from a crusade. These sacred relics are kept at the Church of Santissimi Apostoli where Pazzino de' Pazzi deposited them. For centuries, early on Easter morning, a deacon (soon to become priest) from the Cathedral collects the flints and in procession brings them to the Cathedral (Duomo). The flints are used to ignite the back-end of a mechanical rocket-like dove that is hooked to a wire extending down the length of the nave of the cathedral. After the rocket-dove is ignited, it flies down the nave and into an enormous decorative wooden cart. The cart known popularly as Il brindellone, due to its wagging pennants, is loaded with hundreds of fireworks. If the dove ignites the cart, and the fireworks begin, it is an omen for a good harvest. The crowd cheers, the flag-bearers wave their standards, the drummers pound with excitement and the cart explodes! Calcio Storico Fiorentino - June The Calcio Storico Fiorentino Ceremony
Calcio is the word used for soccer in Italy. However, Calcio Storico Fiorentino is not soccer, but rather a historic game played in Florence in Renaissance costume that more resembles wrestling or rugby than soccer. The tournament consists of three matches total played by the four teams, of twenty-seven men each, that represents the districts of the city of Florence. The matches are played in Piazza Santa Croce which is transformed into a mini-stadium for the month of June.
The two semi-final matches are played on the first two Sundays of the month of June. The final match is played on the feast of St. John the Baptist, June 24, by the winners of the two semi-final games. (The day of the week varies annually.)  The Green and Red Teams Compete
The game has no precise rules, but the object is clear - to launch the ball into the opposing team's net, which extends the entire width of the playing field, without being killed first. As the ball is thrown from player to player, the opposing team attempts to block, tackle, kick, or punch the ball-carrier and his defenders. The players do not wear padding or helmets, but rather Renaissance knicker-pants and a T-shirt the color of their team. Play lasts for fifty minutes. The event begins with a procession of over 500 participants dressed in Renaissance costume. To the sound of trumpets and drums and standards flying, the procession sets off from Santa Maria Novella across the city center and a cannon is shot off for every goal scored. The winning team receives a white calf which was once the main attraction at the victory banquet.
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