The roots of football in Florence date back to the Renaissance when, on February 17, 1529, a “football match” was played in Piazza Santa Croce. The city was under siege by Charles V, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, and was about to surrender. However, before doing so, to demonstrate that the Florentines were proud and unafraid, they organized a football match. Thus, Calcio Storico was born.
Much more recent, however, is the story of Fiorentina, the football team of Florence, also known as the Viola.
Florence football team is la Fiorentina, la VIOLA
The history of Fiorentina has its roots in the fertile footballing ground of late 19th-century Florence. During this period, the passion for football, imported from England, began to spread in the city of the Lily. Various local teams competed on improvised fields, creating an unprecedented sporting fervor. In 1926, a merger took place between two of the city’s main teams: Palestra Ginnastica Fiorentina Libertas and Club Sportivo Firenze.
From this union, the Associazione Calcio Fiorentina was officially born.
The early years of Fiorentina were rather turbulent. Despite their fighting spirit, the team did not immediately establish itself on a national level. However, in the following years, thanks to the commitment of directors and fans, Fiorentina grew steadily, becoming one of Italy’s most important football clubs.
The Jersey
Initially, the jersey was white and red, the heraldic colors of Florence, with a Lily, the flower symbol of the city.
However, on September 22, 1929, during a friendly match at the Via Bellini stadium against Roma, Fiorentina wore the purple jersey with a red Lily on the chest for the first time. The match ended poorly for Fiorentina, as Roma won 3-0, but the team had a new jersey that made them different, unique from all the other teams.
The color purple (viola)
According to tradition, this color was the result of a washing mishap with the white and red jerseys by the laundryman. However, this story seems highly improbable, as white and red would make pink, not purple. Therefore, it seems more plausible that this unique color was chosen by Marchese Luigi Ridolfi, who had greatly contributed to the team’s creation. The color immediately appealed to the public and was never changed.
Purple has many meanings
In Florence, it is associated with the wealthy merchant family Rucellai. It is said that during a trip to the Balearic Islands, a certain Alamanno Rucellai discovered how some small plants turned into a bright reddish-purple when urinated on. Alamanno had found the Roccella tinctoria lichen, which they named “oricello,” leading to immense fortune: cloth of that unique color became highly fashionable across Europe.
| “Our dyers commonly call this plant Roccella, Orcella, or Raspa… To obtain the dye, the plant is reduced to a powder as fine as that which passes through a sieve; then it is lightly moistened with stale human urine (for female urine is considered harmful) in a wooden container, stirred once a day, with some soda ash added in the same time, until the herb and ash are proportioned as 1 to 12. Then it is placed in a wooden barrel and covered with either urine or limewash, or plaster.” This is what is called “Oricello” . |  |
But purple, and this is the version I prefer, is the color placed at the extreme end of the spectrum. Beyond this color lies another realm, the ultraviolet spectrum, the world of the invisible, which can be perceived only by intuition, not by the senses.
This is the purple universally associated with fantasy, enchantment, and magic. Marchese Ridolfi, a visionary and lover of Fiorentina, chose this color to make his team magical.
Stadio Giovanni Berta, poi Artemio Franchi
The Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence is one of Italy’s most iconic sports venues. Built in the 1930s, it represents a masterpiece of Italian rationalist architecture. Its history began with the decision to provide Florence with a modern stadium, in line with the city’s urban expansion and the growing popularity of football.
The stadium was designed by architect Pier Luigi Nervi, one of the greatest structural engineers of the 20th century, known for his ability to combine architectural beauty with engineering innovation. Construction work began in 1930 and was completed two years later, in 1932.
The stadium’s construction was mainly financed by the Fascist regime. The shape of the stadium is a “D,” that of DUX. Originally known as the “Stadio Giovanni Berta,” in honor of a Fascist martyr, it was renamed “Stadio Artemio Franchi” in 1991, in memory of a great sports official and president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).
The stadium’s architecture is an extraordinary example of Italian rationalism, characterized by clean lines, functionality, and attention to structural details. Nervi primarily used reinforced concrete, a material that became the hallmark of his career.
The highlight of the project is undoubtedly the Marathon Tower, standing 55 meters tall, which dominates the entire structure. Another innovation of the facility is the roof of the stands, one of the first in Italy made of pre-stressed reinforced concrete.
The structure, with an original capacity of about 40,000 spectators, was designed to be flexible and adaptable to future needs. The curve and stands were constructed following geometric lines, while visibility from the stands was optimized thanks to the elliptical shape.
Over the years, the stadium has undergone several modifications and expansions, but Nervi’s original structure has remained largely intact.