Old and new: Calcio Storico Fiorentino 2009

As it has been for centuries, on June 24, day of the patron saint of Florence, St. John the Baptist, Piazza Santa Croce was the site of the Calcio Storico game. In front of an audience of 4,000, the Rossi di Santa Maria Novella won the final match, defeating the Azzurri di Santa Croce 14 to 3.5. However, the victory was in name only: in a break with tradition, each of the teams was composed of players from all four districts. After the match, many of the spectators headed to the banks of the Arno to watch the traditional fireworks display, the Fochi di San Giovanni.