_Piazza Sta. Croce. No. 23._
This picturesque palace was built by Giulio Parigi for the Senator
Niccolò dell’Antella, who commissioned thirteen artists to fresco the
façade.[17] The upper part was painted in 1619 in fifteen days, as is
recorded on a scroll held by one of the figures, while the lower part
was finished the following year in eight. The frescoes by Giovanni da
San Giovanni were considered the best, _i. e._ the arms of the Antella
family surrounded by three _amorini_; the various deities and virtues,
amongst which is the figure of an old man with an owl by his side, the
reputed portrait of Donato dell’Antella, father of the Senator Niccolò;
and a Cupid asleep with a swan. The whole façade is sadly dilapidated,
and the frescoes are fast disappearing. Below the third window on the
ground floor is a marble disk, said by some to mark where the dividing
line was drawn across the Piazza when the game of calcio was played.
But, as far as I can understand the extremely technical account of
the game by Count Giovanni de’Bardi, surnamed il Puro in the Academia
degl’Alterati,[18] it marks the spot against which the ball was thrown
at the beginning of each game. He describes the Piazza, as fenced in by
posts and rails 2 braccia high; the length of the _campo_, or field of
play, being 172 braccia, and the width 86. One side of the enclosure
was called the _muro_, or wall, the other the _fossa_, or ditch, and
in the centre of one side the six umpires were “on an honourable and
elevated seat,” while at either end stood a pavilion draped with the
colours of the players. Of these there were fifty-four, twenty-seven on
either side, dressed in their distinctive colours, under the command of
_alfieri_, or captains, and divided as follows: fifteen _innanzi_, or
“forwards,” also called _corridori_, in three companies of five each,
who followed the ball; five _sconciatori_, or “half-backs,” whose duty
it was to prevent the _innanzi_ from getting the ball (they often gave
heavy blows, whence their name, from the word _sconciare_, to injure or
hurt); four _datori innanzi_, or “three-quarters,” and three _datori
addietro_, or “full-backs,” a kind of rear-guard to the former. I must
refer my readers to Mr. Heywood’s delightful book _Palio and Ponte_ for
a full and vivid account of the game of calcio, from which I extract
the following lines. “The object of the players was to drive the ball,
with feet or fists, over what, for convenience sake, we may term the
enemy’s ‘goal-line,’ although, as a matter of fact, in the Florentine
game there were no goals, the whole line of posts and rails, at either
end of the field of play, being open to attack. In order to score,
it was necessary that the ball should be driven over this line by a
direct punt or a fist blow. This was called a _caccia_, and the game
was won by the side which gained the greatest number of _caccie_. The
players were allowed to run with the ball, to kick, strike or throw
it; but if, when thrown or struck with the open hand, it rose above
the height of an ordinary man, this constituted a _fallo_, or fault;
and two _falli_ were equal to a _caccia_. There was also a _fallo_
when the ball was driven out of the field of play, on the side of the
Ditch, by a direct punt or fist blow; if, however, it bounced out off
the ground, there was no penalty. After a _caccia_ or two _falli_
had been scored, ends were changed.” The victors then marched with
their banner proudly displayed, while that of their adversaries was
furled and slanted earthwards. This was a dangerous moment, as the
conquered party sometimes refused to lower their banner, whereupon the
others would fall upon them and tear it to pieces, and men were often
severely wounded. The players were picked men, as “scoundrels are not
to be tolerated,” writes the Count Giovanni, “neither artificers,
servants, low-born nor infamous fellows, but honourable soldiers,
gentlemen, lords and princes. Therefore to play Calcio, gentlemen from
eighteen to forty-five years of age shall be chosen, well-matched,
handsome, vigorous, of gallant bearing and of good repute.... It is not
convenient for the player to wear aught save hose and doublet, a cap
and light shoes, because the less he is hampered the more agile will he
be, and the better able to use his limbs and to run swiftly. Above all
should every one be careful to have handsome, elegant and well-fitting
attire.”
Mr. Heywood, in the book I have quoted, scouts the notion that our
national game of football came originally from Italy, where he says it
was unknown before the XVth century. On the contrary, he suggests that
the great English Condottiere, Sir John Hawkwood, may have introduced
it into Florence. But several Italian writers declare that Julius
Pollux exactly describes it in a book he dedicated to the Emperor
Commodus, and that it has existed in Italy from time immemorial.
The game of calcio played in 1529 in order to flout the enemy, and
show how little the Florentines cared for the Prince of Orange, is
celebrated. Trumpeters were stationed on the top of the church of Sta.
Croce, so that their triumphant blasts might be heard by the besiegers,
whose gunners, fortunately for them, were not skilful enough to hit
them from Poggio Imperiale.
Tournaments, jousts, ballets on horseback, masquerades and sham
battles, often took place on the Piazza Sta. Croce. Here the Duke of
Athens was hailed as Lord of Florence by the assembled people, but
in the following year for several days he held grand jousts, and the
citizens stood sullenly aloof. In 1468, when Lorenzo the Magnificent
held the lists against all comers, “great was the concourse of
jousters,” writes Niccolò Valori, “the magnificence of the arms and the
wealth of jewels were only surpassed by the resplendent surcoats and
habits of cloth of gold.” Mounted successively on chargers presented to
him by the Duke of Ferrara and the King of Naples, and wearing armour
sent to him by the Duke of Milan, Lorenzo de’ Medici won the prize of
valour. Luca Pulci thus describes the entry of his friend and patron,
and his beautiful banner:--
“E mi parea sentir sonar Miseno
Quando sul campo Lorenzo guignea
Sopra un caval che tremar fe il terreno:
E nel suo bel vesillo si vedea
Di sopra un sole e poi l’arcobalena
Dove a lettere d’oro si leggea
‘LE TEMS REVIENT’ che puo interpretarsi
Tornare il tempo e’ l secol rinnovarsi.”
A little later Poliziano celebrated in glowing lines the tournament
held by Giuliano de’ Medici, but _La Giostra_ was never finished, for
when Giuliano was assassinated Poliziano laid down his pen.
After the death of the last of the family of dell’Antella the old
palace passed to the Biagi, and then to the Della Stufa. It now belongs
to Signor Mariani.