Marostica Chess Game

Sunday we went to the human chess tournament, a recreation of real events from 1454, when two noblemen challenged each other to a duel over the hand of Lionora, daughter of the Lord of Marostica. The Lord had no desire to see either of the suitors die; therefore, he forbid the duel and had them instead play a game of chess. The whole story is available here.

The performance was incredible. The costumes were beautiful, the acting well rehearsed. The program consisted mainly of the pomp and fanfare of entrances and exits. First entrance was the Nobility. Next delegations from the major cities of the Serenissima Republic were introduced, such as Venice, Padova, Vincenza, Belluno, etc. Following them were delegations from the neighboring city-states of Trieste, Bolzano, and Florence. Next came the Borgi (boroughs or villages) of Marostica.Followed by the chess pieces. The match was rather quick, about 20 minutes. Next the Lord presented his daughters to the two noblemen, and the exit ceremonies began.

Particularly good was the court jester, especially after the chess match when he came out on stilts that must have been at least 2 meters!

The flag work of the Florentine delegation was truly amazing, especially a solo performance involving flag juggling and twirling with the feet!

All in all it was one of the most memorable performances I've ever been to.Definitely worth working into a trip if you're ever in the area. Be sure to research and see if you can acquire a translation of the performance in English, it will greatly improve your time. The banter is quite witty at times. As the performance is in Venetian dialect, you should be OK if you are fluent in Italian and have some knowledge of dialect. You will also be OK if you are fluent in both Italian and Spanish. If you speak the Catalan dialect of Spain you will understand much more than me! The two dialects are VERY similar. If you are only conversationally fluent or below in Italian, do not expect to understand much.

Marostica castle is set on a hillside, with a lower castle and the city at the bottom. A steep wooded hillside leads up to the upper castle, and the entire area is surrounded by a protective wall.


In the remnants of the upper castle is a restaurant, where we thought we were quite lucky to get seats. Unfortunately, neither the food nor the service reflected the beautiful surroundings and was mediocre at best, especially considering the price. I would advise avoiding it.