Marzocco

Every year during the month of May, the Marzocco Trophy takes place in Piazza della Signoria.
The event is a flag-waving competition organized by the Bandierai degli Uffizi (the Official Flag-wavers of Florence) which sees four teams, dressed in 17th century attire and accompanied by drums, competing for the trophy symbol of the Florentine Republic.

This kind of competitions dates back to medieval times, when the flag carrier played a very important role during battle.
This soldier was very important as he needed to carry the ensign of the army, which he was supposed to defend with his life. In the event of an injury that prevented him from continuing to carry the banner, he would throw the flag to a fellow soldier that would take on the task.
For this reason these soldiers were used to practice throwing the flag high so that it was easy for a comrade to catch it.

But what is Marzocco? The word comes from the latin “martocus”, “meaning little mars” referring to the statue of a lion that replaced the one of the god of war, Mars, that used to stand near Ponte Vecchio. In fact, Florence was originally devoted to the cult of Mars which later on, when the advent of Christianity, adopted Saint John as patron saint.
A famous Marzocco statue, sculpted in pietra serena by Donatello in the early XV century, can be found in the Bargello Museum, while it’s copy sits outside Palazzo Vecchio.

Fun fact: there used to be real lions in Florence and their presence is documented from the XIII century.
At first they were kept in cages inside Palazzo del Podestà (now the Bargello Museum), then they were moved in the place where today there is the Loggia de Lanzi, and later they were again behind Palazzo Vecchio, on the street called Via de Leoni (Lions’ street).