incapacitated players, the other teammates come and swoop up the ball and head to the goal. From this moment on, the players try by any means necessary to get the ball into the opponents' goal, also called caccia. The teams change sides with every caccia or goal scored. It is important to shoot with precision, because every time a player throws or kicks the ball above the net, the opposing team is awarded with a half caccia. The game ends after 50 minutes and the team which scored the most cacce wins. Along with the palio, the winning team used to receive a Chianina, a type of pure-bred cow. However, this has been reduced to a free dinner for the winning team; the players earn no other compensation. In popular culture The comic book series Bitch Planet includes an event titled "Duemila" or "Megaton"; in issue #4 the event is described: "Megaton is one of many modern descendants of Calcio Fiorentino, a 16th century Italian sport... Teams may have any number of players, but their combined weight can be no more than !" In the 2017 film Lost In Florence, Brett Dalton plays a former college football star who travels to Italy and becomes involved in playing Calcio Fiorentino. In episode 4, "Judgement Day" of the TV series, Medici: Masters of Florence, the main characters engage in a game of Calcio Fiorentino in the main square of Florence during a flashback sequence. In the sixth episode from the second season of Syfy Channel's HAPPY! (titled "Pervapalooza"), the demon Orcus references Calcio Storico while trapped inside Blue Scaramucci's body. (Original airdate 5/1/2019) The Mirror and the Light, Hilary Mantel's novel about Thomas Cromwell, contains a description of an early 16th-century game of , emphasising its brutality. Episode 1 of the 2020 Netflix series Home Game is dedicated to Calcio Storico, featuring behind-the-scenes player vignettes contemporary to the 2019 Reds-versus-Whites final match. In addition to providing historical information, the episode depicts interviews with players from both teams. See also Football in Italy Rugby union in Italy Takanakuy, fighting festival in Peru Volata References External links Calcio Storico: Everything You Need to Know History of Soccer from ExpertFootball.com Video: Calcio Storico Fiorentino Mini-Documentary Video: GEO Reportage "Florenz, Fussball bis aufs Blut" Video: Florence Fight Club Photo gallery: parade and match on 24 June 2008 Traditional football Sports festivals in Italy History of Florence