Curiosity

The Piglet

The famous fountain of the Piglet oversees the Loggia del Mercato Nuovo since 1640, works in bronze by Pietro Tacca is the art of Florence’s most popular with tourists. The fountain, located in the market to give water to those who traded, straightaway became very popular among the Florentines. The animal represented is a wild boar. The legend says that touching the nose brings good luck. The complete procedure to obtain a good sign would be to put a coin in the pig’s mouth after have rubbed his nose: if the coin falls beyond the grate where the water falls it will bring luck.

The Marzocco

A symbol of the city is called Marzocco, a lion with his paw holding the arms of Florence. The name Marzocco derives from Mars, the very first symbol of Florence, then replaced with the feline (lion). It should be noted as a curiosity in that period of republican Florence some live lions were kept in cages behind the Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall), the street that still bears the name of Via dei Leoni.

The emblem of the city

Florence has the emblem on a red lily, whose representation is derived dall’iris Florentine, a white flower that was widespread in the territory. At the time the city free city emblem was white on a red background, but it was in 1251, after the struggles between Guelphs and Ghibellines that the colors were reversed and adopted the version of the red lily on a white background. Even today the municipality of the city boasts of this emblem, which has remained virtually unchanged for centuries.

Historic Florentine Soccer

Ancient origins (many similarities with the Roman arpasto), the historic Florentine soccer is one of the most dee-rooted and representative traditions. Also known as football in livery, this game was practiced daily by all the young Florentine, but with time became important because of some games played by the noble citizens (including some popes) of the most significant and important squares of the city. The last official race was held in January 1739, then again in May 1930, in occasion of the fourth centenary of the siege of Florence.
Since then every year, there are challenges between the kicking of the four historical districts of Florence: the Whites of Santo Spirito, the Azzurri of Santa Croce, the Reds of Santa Maria Novella, the Greens of San Giovanni. Currently the games are held in the incomparable setting of Santa Croce Square.