Trofeo Marzocco 2026

On Friday, May 1, Florence's Piazza della Signoria will be hosting the 33rd edition of the Marzocco Trophy, a prestigious national tournament between historical flag-throwing groups, recognized as an official historical and folk event of the City of Florence.

This edition also continues the tradition started more than 30 years ago and involves groups from all over Italy, selected competitively, with a strong historical and cultural significance. Each group will take part in two different trials, one with the Small Team - composed of a minimum of four and a maximum of six flag throwers - and one with the Big Team, made up of eight to sixteen flag throwers. The exhibitions will be accompanied by musicians with clarions and drums, whose performance will in turn be included in the jury's evaluation.

The Trophy is dedicated to the Marzocco, the historical lion symbol of the Florentine power of the people. The statue of the Marzocco by Donatello, now in the Bargello Museum and a copy of it in Piazza della Signoria, is the icon of the tournament. 
The Bandierai degli Uffizi, a flag-throwing group that emerged in 1973 in the Historical Procession of the Florentine Republic (over 530 figures), are official Ambassadors of Florence in the world and participate by right in every edition of the Trophy as Guardians of the Florentine Art of the Flag.

Program for the day:
 11.30 am - Piazza della Signoria, information point
 2.30 pm - Palagio di Parte Guelfa: Historical Procession sets off
 3 pm - Piazza della Signoria: arrival of the procession and classification of the groups
 3.30 pm - Greetings and draw for the order of the exhibitions
 3.50 pm - Start of the Small Team’s exhibitions
 4.20 pm - Start of the Big Team’s exhibitions
 5 pm - Dance of the Florentine Madonnas
 5.15 pm - Award ceremony and institutional greetings

Admission is free, with access to an area marked off by barriers surrounding the competition area.