myArmoury.com - '"Gioco del Ponté " the Ultimate Melee !

Posts: 301 Location: Brisbane, Australia

Wed 04 Oct, 2006 2:06 am

'"Gioco del Ponté " the Ultimate Melee !

I havent yet had the opportunity to get to Italy but if I do, I'll try to get to Pisa (as in the leaning tower of...) for the "Gioco del Ponte" or "Game of the Bridge", a Melee on the "Ponte di Mezzo" ( bridge ) which is still played out today albeit as a giant tug of war. But the special Helmets and unusual Shields are still used in the parade, etc. Although the game was first documented in 1568 the origins are much older and may go back to at least the 11th. century. Two teams of combatants were called the "Cockerel"and the "Magpie"and fought with clubs much like the German "Kolbentournier" although it was not unknown in this free-for-all, to end up using the narrow shields themselves as clubs !

http://www.comune.pisa.it/turismo/manifestazi...e-gb.htm#1

http://www.florence.world-guides.com/events.html

http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navc...+del+Ponte

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Gioco del Ponte ( Game of the Bridge ).jpg

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pisa bridge knight. sm.jpg

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Steve Grisetti

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Posts: 1,812 Location: Washington DC metro area, USA

Wed 04 Oct, 2006 5:47 pm

This looks like a fun event to attend. In spite of my family name, I have never been to Italy. So this Gioco del Ponte adds to my list of reasons to go. Thanks.

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Merv Cannon

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Posts: 301 Location: Brisbane, Australia

Wed 04 Oct, 2006 6:34 pm

Gioco del Ponte

Steve Grisetti wrote:

This looks like a fun event to attend. In spite of my family name, I have never been to Italy. So this Gioco del Ponte adds to my list of reasons to go. Thanks.

Yeah Steve, I could just see you in one of those gettups whacking everyone left, right and centre with your skinny shield ! Hey.....I wonder if they carried their weapons in big Violin cases ?
Actually, you can sometimes see the original Helmets and shields and breastplates up for auction at places like "Hermann Historia". Thats the great thing about living in places that have long cultural heritages and traditions. Here in Oz our traditions stop at the local Pub and "footy"ground (Football) which may be why medieval historical reenactment is so big here....my city has over 22 groups alone and our local annual Medieval Tournament pulled in over 14,500 people this year over one weekend ! ............ http://www.abbeytournament.com/index.htm
Cheers !

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Steve Grisetti

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Posts: 1,812 Location: Washington DC metro area, USA

Wed 04 Oct, 2006 6:47 pm

Re: Gioco del Ponte

Merv Cannon wrote:

... Thats the great thing about living in places that have long cultural heritages and traditions. Here in Oz our traditions stop at the local Pub and "footy"ground (Football) which may be why medieval historical reenactment is so big here....my city has over 22 groups alone and our local annual Medieval Tournament pulled in over 14,500 people this year over one weekend ! ............ http://www.abbeytournament.com/index.htm
Cheers !

I'm in Florida, so, I suppose that the climate is similar to Brisbane (can't exactly remember - last time I was in OZ was 1983 - drank way too much XXXX beer.) Cultural heritage is similar - little to none - in our area, the heritage has big Disney mouse ears.

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Bruno Giordan

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Posts: 919

Thu 05 Oct, 2006 12:44 am

Re: Gioco del Ponte

Merv Cannon wrote:

Steve Grisetti wrote:

This looks like a fun event to attend. In spite of my family name, I have never been to Italy. So this Gioco del Ponte adds to my list of reasons to go. Thanks.

Yeah Steve, I could just see you in one of those gettups whacking everyone left, right and centre with your skinny shield ! Hey.....I wonder if they carried their weapons in big Violin cases ?
Actually, you can sometimes see the original Helmets and shields and breastplates up for auction at places like "Hermann Historia". Thats the great thing about living in places that have long cultural heritages and traditions. Here in Oz our traditions stop at the local Pub and "footy"ground (Football) which may be why medieval historical reenactment is so big here....my city has over 22 groups alone and our local annual Medieval Tournament pulled in over 14,500 people this year over one weekend ! ............ http://www.abbeytournament.com/index.htm
Cheers !

That's a more recent and totally southerner tradition.

I wonder how many times you have seen Scorsese's movies ...

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Steve Grisetti

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Posts: 1,812 Location: Washington DC metro area, USA

Thu 05 Oct, 2006 5:29 pm

Re: Gioco del Ponte

Bruno Giordan wrote:

Merv Cannon wrote:

Steve Grisetti wrote:

This looks like a fun event to attend. In spite of my family name, I have never been to Italy. So this Gioco del Ponte adds to my list of reasons to go. Thanks.

Yeah Steve, I could just see you in one of those gettups whacking everyone left, right and centre with your skinny shield ! Hey.....I wonder if they carried their weapons in big Violin cases ? ....

That's a more recent and totally southerner tradition ....

Good point. My great grandfather Grisetti came from a town almost as far north as one can get, while remaining in Italy. I think it was called Appiano, just a few miles from Lake Como. It so happens that my mother does play the violin (unless there really is something else in that case?), but her ancestry is Spanish and Welsh, not Italian.

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