Marostica
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Marostica (; ), is a town and ''
comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...
'' in the
province of Vicenza The province of Vicenza (; ) is a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital city is Vicenza. The province has an area of 2,722.53 km2, and a total population of 865,082 (as of 2017). There are 113 ''comuni'' (municipalities) in th ...
,
Veneto Veneto, officially the Region of Veneto, is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northeast Italy, north-east of the country. It is the fourth most populous region in Italy, with a population of 4,851,851 as of 2025. Venice is t ...
, northern
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. It is mostly famous for its live chess event and for the local
cherry A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet '' Prunus avium'' and the sour '' Prunus cerasus''. The na ...
variety.


History

Between the 11th and 13th centuries, the locality was greatly influenced by several members of the important medieval family from the Veneto, known as the Ezzelini. They were finally defeated in 1260. Marostica was a Venetian city until Venice joined Italy. During the 19th century it was mainly a relatively poor town; a great number of inhabitants went to look for fortune in Brazil and many other places in the world. The wealth of the town grew greatly after the second world war. Marostica is famous for the human
chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...
game it carries out every 2 years (in the even-numbered years) with living chess pieces in the city public square.


Festival Facts

According to legend the original chess match took place on September 12, 1454, so during the 2nd weekend in September of even-numbered years, this reenacted game of chess using live pieces is played but that has not always been the case. After the First World War, members of the local chess club began playing chess in the main square with 10 cm gilded pieces which caught the attention of then mayor Bonomo and the architect Mirko Vucetich. They became inspired and set about reviving the biennial reenactment of the life-sized human chess match that had been interrupted due to the wartime events. After the Second World War, some 20 years later, the artist who authored the work entitled “The Chess Game,” in which the original legend is memorialized, designed the new elements of the festival. The renovated chess board measured 16 meters per side, framed by a large band of black tarchite, which contains the 64 square squares obtained from 4 slabs of pink Conco marble and Asiago biancone. In addition to the newly renovated chessboard, the medieval costumes and sets of the era were also redesigned. Unfortunately, the original game was played so long ago that the original moves by the knights have been lost to time so ‘a group’ of designated chess players choose one of the more famous chess matches in recent history to use at the formal presentation. During the presentation once one of the two knights/suitors have made a move, a crier calls out the movement for the living chess piece; these orders are still given out in the "Serenissima Republic of Venice" dialect.


The Legend

The two noblemen, Rinaldo D'Angarano and Vieri da Vallanora, fell in love with Lionora, the daughter of the local lord, Taddeo Parisio. As was the custom at that time, they challenged each other to a duel to win her hand. The Lord of Marostica, not wanting to make an enemy of either suitor nor lose them in a duel, forbade the encounter. *He decreed instead that the two rivals would play a chess game and the winner would have the hand of Lionora. The loser of the chess game would also join the family, by marrying her younger sister, Oldrada. The chess match took place on September 12 in the year 1454. The reenactment of the legendary chess match takes place on the square in front of the Lower Castle with supporters carrying the noble ensigns of Whites and Blacks, in the presence of the Lord, his noble daughter, the Lords of Angarano and Leoncavallo, the court and the entire town population. The Lord also decides the challenge would be honoured by an exhibition of armed men, foot-soldiers and knights, with fireworks, dances and music, which makes the approximately 20 minute chess game the anchor of a festival of epic proportions. Marostica is also home to the Diesel Farm, a wine, grappa, and olive oil-producing establishment, founded by Diesel founder Renzo Rosso. Nonetheless, Marostica is also very famous for the production of cherries, used in the preparation of a typical cake, served in all cafes and restaurants in the area.


International relations


Twin towns – Sister cities

Marostica is twinned with: *
São Bernardo do Campo São Bernardo do Campo () is a Brazilian Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in the state of São Paulo. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo. The population is 810,729 (2022 census) in an area of . According to 2021 data from ...
,
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
* Tendō,
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
* Mignano Monte Lungo,
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
*
Montigny-le-Bretonneux Montigny-le-Bretonneux () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the south-western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris, in the " new town" of Saint-Quentin-en-Yveli ...
,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...


Notable people

*
Prospero Alpini Prospero Alpini (also known as Prosper Alpinus, Prospero Alpinio and Latinized as Prosperus Alpinus) (23 November 15536 February 1617) was a Venetian physician and botanist. He travelled around Egypt and served as the fourth prefect in charge of ...
, physician and botanist, born 1553 * Giovanni Battaglin, cyclist,
Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
and
Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...
winner * Giancarlo Bonato (1930-2016) craftsman, artist and entrepreneur * Tatiana Guderzo, cyclist, Italian and World Champion * Enrico Battaglin, cyclist


Gallery

File:Marostica PiazzaScacchi.jpg, The lower castle on Piazza degli Scacchi File:Roofs of Marostica from flickr.jpg, The town File:Marostica9.JPG, One side of Piazza degli Scacchi File:Marostica6.JPG, Piazza degli Scacchi File:Marostica5.JPG, Walls of the upper castle File:Marostica1.jpg, The lower castle and the Lion of Saint Mark


References


External links


, Official touristic website
{{authority control Cities and towns in Veneto