L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 4 I n I t a l y , h i s t o r i c a l r e e n a c t m e n t s h e l p keep collective mem- ory alive, and in Flo- rence, where history is truly part of daily life, this t r a d i t i o n s h i n e s w i t h t h e Bandierai degli Uffizi, the city's official flag-waving group. With costumes, ban- ners, and disciplined move- m e n t , t h e y b r i n g R e n a i s - sance Florence back to the streets. We spoke with Cap- t a i n A n t o n i o M a r r o n e about their history, projects, and ties to the United States. L e t ' s s t a r t w i t h t h e b a s i c s : w h o a r e t h e Bandierai degli Uffizi, and how did they begin? The Bandierai degli Uffizi were founded in 1930, when F l o r e n c e r e v i v e d C a l c i o Storico, adopting costumes and units inspired by the 1530 Florentine Republic. That revival brought back c i v i c a n d m i l i t a r y a r t s , including the flag-waver, an ensign who signaled orders in battle. The link with the Uffizi comes directly from Cosimo I de' Medici, who, as a y o u n g r u l e r , c o m m i s - sioned Vasari to create a single complex where all the c i t y ' s m a g i s t r a c i e s c o u l d work side by side with the s e a t o f p o w e r . I n t h o s e o f f i c e s , w h i c h w e r e F l o - r e n c e ' s f i r s t t r u e p u b l i c administration, the carved doors still show the symbols that the Bandierai repro- duce on their banners today, because we represent the sixteen magistracies which were active from the thir- t e e n t h t o t h e e i g h t e e n t h century. C a n y o u g i v e a c o n - crete example of these magistracies and their symbols? I started more than fifty years ago carrying the flag of the Maestri dei Pupilli, a public body that, since the 1200s, protected orphans and their property: a very f o r w a r d i d e a , w h e n y o u think of it. There were also the Maestri del Sale, who controlled salt prices, and t h e M a e s t r i d e l l a Z e c c a , who oversaw the gold florin, periodically melting coins to prevent edge shaving. W h a t s t y l e d o y o u r p e r f o r m a n c e s h a v e t o d a y , a n d h o w i s t h e group organized? We are the City of Flo- rence's official flag-wavers. Our style remains military, disciplined, and composed, though we've adapted to a performative setting. We are all volunteers and represent Florence and Italy around the world. Which are the main city events you take part in? Florence has about twen- t y t r a d i t i o n a l f e s t i v i t i e s , most of them religious. The two most important for us a r e t h e C a l c i o S t o r i c o Fiorentino event on June 24 ( S a i n t J o h n , F l o r e n c e ' s Patron Saint's day), and the Scoppio del Carro on Easter morning. The Calcio Storico parade involves over 540 participants; the Scoppio del Carro about 300. In gener- al, the city calls us for major historical events that aren't political. What about the ori- gins of Calcio Storico? F l o r e n c e ' s p a s s i o n f o r soccer goes back to its very f o u n d a t i o n : t h e c i t y w a s e s t a b l i s h e d b y f o r m e r Roman legionaries around 75 BC, and early references mention games being played near Ponte Vecchio, the first b r i d g e a c r o s s t h e A r n o . Some chronicles describe a match in the winter of 1300 where Florentines played on the frozen river itself. Over t h e c e n t u r i e s , t h e g a m e r e m a i n e d p o p u l a r a c r o s s social classes, from common citizens to nobles such as Lorenzo il Magnifico and the future Pope Leo X. The y e a r 1 5 3 0 i s p e r h a p s t h e most symbolic because, dur- i n g t h e i m p e r i a l s i e g e , a match was played in Piazza Santa Croce to show that life in the city continued. It was a gesture of civic pride and resistance, and that's our historical reference. When t h e M e d i c i r e t u r n e d t o power after they elevated the sport from popular pas- time to civic celebration, and transformed it into a s y m b o l o f F l o r e n c e l o n g before modern soccer exist- ed. And the Scoppio del Carro? The Scoppio del Carro happens on Easter morning every year, and is one of the oldest and most meaningful t r a d i t i o n s i n F l o r e n c e , almost a thousand years old. It goes back to 1099, when Pazzino de' Pazzi came back f r o m t h e F i r s t C r u s a d e bringing three flints taken from the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. Those stones are still used to light the fire that sets off the explosion of the cart. Over the centuries, the carro itself changed in form, becoming the one we see today, which has a fif- teenth-century base, and an From Florence to Fifth Avenue: the story of the Bandierai degli Uffizi FRANCESCA BEZZONE NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS CONTINUED TO PAGE 6 The Bandierai degli Uffizi during one of their performances (Photo courtesy of Bandierai degli Uffizi)

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