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Home Sweet Home

Each summer, teams from the four districts of Florence- Santa Croce, Santo Spirito, Santa Maria Novella, and San Giovanni-battle it out in the Calcio Storico Fiorentino tournament, with the final match on June 24, the day dedicated to San Giovanni. A no-holds-barred mix of soccer, rugby and

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Thu 24 May 2012 12:00 AM

Each summer, teams from the four districts of Florence- Santa Croce, Santo Spirito, Santa Maria Novella, and San Giovanni-battle it out in the Calcio Storico Fiorentino tournament, with the final match on June 24, the day dedicated to San Giovanni. A no-holds-barred mix of soccer, rugby and wrestling (see TF 145), the Calcio Storico Fiorentino is traditionally held in piazza Santa Croce.

 

This year’s edition is particularly significant for the Bianchi of the Santo Spirito district. After 25 years of closure, the keys to the Bianchi’s historic headquarters, the tower along Lungarno Santa Rosa, known as the Torrino, were returned to the team. Over the coming months, the team plans to restore the interior of the Torrino and the embankment where the Bianchi trained in the 1950s. They will also remove the illegal buildings around the tower constructed by previous managers of the property.

 

To carry out the visionary project, estimated to cost some 50,000 euro, the Bianchi team will raise funds through sales at a renovated bar and cafeteria in the Rondinella. Once completed, the site will continue to host neighbourhood associations, among them the Rondinella del Torrino, Oltrarno Promuove, and the Commerical Centre of San Frediano.

 

Returning home after a quarter of a century was a special moment for the team. ‘We are proud and happy,’ said Massimo Nardi, president of Bianchi, ‘This is our history. The flag of our colour will soon return to wave on top of the Torrino.’

 

On June 16, the Bianchi play against the Verdi of the San Giovanni district for a spot in the June 24 match.

 

Tickets are on sale now for the three matches of Calcio Storico at www.boxol.it. For more information, go to www.calciostoricofiorentino.it.

 

Donate blood for your team!This year, fans of calcio storico can support their favorite teams by doing more than cheering. Those donating blood before June 15 can designate which district it goes to. Blood donations centres are located at Meyer (viale Pieraccini; 055/5662990; Avis Palagi Iot (viale Michelangelo, 055/6577429); Torregalli hospital (055/7192232); Santa Maria Annunziata Ponte a Niccheri hospital (055/2496480); Centre of Medical Transfusions at Careggi-Piastra (055/411030). For other blood banks in the province of Florence, see http://bit.ly/JHy6ns.

 

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