Pisa divides into two camps to fight over the town's main bridge during the Bridge Battle. Known locally as the Gioco del Ponte, the event is a colourful and vicious competition dating back to the Middle Ages.
The Bridge Battle were shifted to their current location by the Medicis around 1500. Obviously eager to see the denizens of Pisa beat the hell out of each other, the family revived the flagging tradition, pitting the city's southern bank (Mezzogiorno) against the northern one (Tramontana) and enabling hundreds of unfortunates to end up in the Arno river.
After this second bout of popularity, the battles were sporadically revived and outlawed due to their extreme violence. In their current incarnation - more an endurance course than a bloodthirsty battle - a wooden ram or chariot must be pushed across the Arno onto the opponents' bank.
After this second bout of popularity, the battles were sporadically revived and outlawed due to their extreme violence. In their current incarnation - more an endurance course than a bloodthirsty battle - a wooden ram or chariot must be pushed across the Arno onto the opponents' bank.
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