| Calcio Fiorentino was an early form of football that originated in
16th century Italy. The Piazza della Novere of
Florence is the craddle of this sport, that became known as giuoco del calcio
fiorentino ("Florentin kick game") or simply calcio ("kick").
The official rules of
calcio were published for the fitst time in 1580 by a certain Giovanni Bardi. Just like Roman
harpastum, it was played in teams of 27,
using both feet and hands. Goals could be scored by throwing the ball over a designated spot on the perimeter of the field.
Originally, calcio was only reserved for the rich aristocrats, who played every night between Epiphany and Lent. In the
Vatican, even Popes, such as Clement
VII, Leo IX and Urban VIII were
known to play.
Because Calcio originally attracted a sophisticated class of people, it had an impact of international proportions. British
schoolmaster Richard
Mulcaster mentions an English version of mob football, influenced by Calcio, in his 1561 treatise on the education of the young.
External links
|
