Photographs by Vladimir Pomortzeff

It's almost impossible to convince any Florentine that football was invited in England. Even the smallest Florentine children clearly know that in fact football was invited in Florence centuries ago. Furthermore the Florentines still play their own football in the medieval uniforms and by the medieval rules, or almost without any rules, to put it more precisely. Every year in the end of June two best Florentine teams of historical football meet in the final match on the giant sand pit in front of the famous Santa Croce Cathedral where Galileo Galilei and Michelangelo have been buried. Tournament in historical football becomes the main event of the celebration of San Giovanni's Day, the divine patron of Florence.
 
 

1. Final match in historical football in the Piazza di Santa Croce in Florence, Italy.

2. 

3.

4. 

5. Procession in honour of San Giovanni (St John the Baptist) in front of Michelangelo's David.

6. Famous 'Gates of Paradise' by Lorenzo Ghiberty of the Florence Baptistery is open in a very special days only.

7. Opening ceremony of the tournament in the Piazza di Santa Croce.

8. Players of the team 'Rossi' ('Red') in a changing room before the final match.

9.

10.

11. Players of the team 'Rossi' pass by Michelangelo's David.

12.  Players of the team 'Rossi' warm up on the porch of Santa Croce Cathedral.

13. Players of the team 'Azzurri' ('Light Blue') before the final match.

14. Capitates of two teams greed each other before the final match.

15. Final match between 'Rossi' and 'Azzurri' in the Piazza di Santa Croce.

16. 

17.

18. 'Rossi' win this year.

19. Office of the Federation of the Historical Football.

Copyright © 2009 Vladimir Pomortzeff