La Partita A Scacchi - The Game of Chess

About 30 minutes north of our house is the beautiful walled city of Marostica. In 1454, two noblemen, Rinaldo D'Angarano and Vieri da Vallonara, both fell in love with the same woman; Lionora, the daughter of Taddeo Parisio, the Lord of Marostica Castle. As was the custom in that day, the two gentlemen challenged each other to duel to win the hand of the fair maiden.

However Taddeo Parisio forbade the duel as he did not want to risk losing one of his brave knights. On the other hand, he did not want to offend their families by arbitrarily deciding the issue. He struck upon the idea that the two suitors should play a chess match, and the winner of said match would receive Lionora's hand in marriage, while the loser would still join his family be marrying Lionora's younger sister, Oldrada.

Parisio's Proclamation: "Thus we repeat that such single, bloody duel ought in no way to take place under pain of death for the transgressor, and we order instead that the challenge will be a noble game of chess and the winner will have as reward marriage with Madonna Lionora, and that such game be played on the twelfth of September 1454, upon the big square of the Castle between tall and living pieces, all armed and marked with the noble colours of Black and White, and said challenge be honoured with a display of armoured men and fireworks and public illumination and dances and music".

The first re-enactment of this epic event took place on it's 500th anniversary in 1954. And it has been re-enacted on every even numbered year since. Well after all that, we just had to go!

There were huge throngs of people clamoring to take their seats in the grandstands overlooking Marostica's townsquare. The grandstands surround the square on three sides with the great castle gate along the fourth edge. Since it was the first night, the ushers were having a tough time managing the crowd. The redhead and I took a few wrong turns, and progress through the crowd was slow, but finally we managed to jostle ourselves up the steep bleacher steps to our very tiny seats (The seats were really tiny. I think Emma would have fit perfectly. As for me, my fat butt sort of spilled over the sides. I felt bad for the lady sitting next to me...)

The event started about 30 minutes late (AKA Italian Time), and the lights dimmed over the square. The torches in the high windows of the castle gate gave an eerie glow of anticipation...

A booming voice filled the night air and demanded that the archers fire their arrows to commence the show. Two fiery bolts flew down from the tower and set the chessboard ablaze!


After that great beginning there were several processionals of dancers, jugglers, and merchants.


Taddeo Parisio and his two daughters enter the townsquare to oversee the proceedings. And they were followed in by several noble families with their attendants.


Every phase of the show was full of festivity and pageantry. Phalanxes of halbardiers, crossbowmen, and mounted knights, were followed by drummers, standard bearers and falconers. And ever single person was in full costume and regalia... Even the cameramen!


Quite comfortable in their masculinity, the Italian men dress up in colorful tights and proceed with the twirling of the pretty flags!




After much anticipation and with great fanfare, the living chess pieces emerge from the mouth of the castle gate and take the field!



The game proceeded with the two noblemen making their moves on a small chessboard, and the herald calling out each move so that the living pieces could follow suit. After roughly 12 moves, White, in stunning fashion, sacrificed his Queen to open up a lane for his rook! On the next move, the White rook comes down and crushes the Black King. Checkmate!

As promised, Parisio marries the two couples in the middle of the townsquare.



And to complete the celebration the lights are once again dimmed and the night sky explodes with showers of fireworks.


Despite the fact that I couldn't feel my legs after sitting in my cramped seat for so long, the event was incredible to watch. The pageant won't be shown again until September of 2010, so if you would like to witness this unique event, plan your trips accordingly.

VIVA SAN MARCO!
VIVA MAROSTICA!
e VIVA SCACCHI!