The challenge

The gauntlet has been thrown down, and the noblemen Vieri da Vallonara and Rinaldo d’Angarano are ready to shed blood to secure the hand of the castellan’s daughter, the fair Lionora; but the governor has a solution up his sleeve designed to put an end to their rivalry for good. The stage is set; the living chess pieces are ready on the board. Lionora draws the colour of who shall make the first move: black or white. With a roar, the chariot with the ram’s head rolls into the square with the chessboard the challenge will be played out on. The Heralds take their place on the podium, ready for the moves of the players. The commander arrives bearing the chessboard, and prompts the two adversaries to play. Vieri and Rinaldo take their places at the table, and the world’s finest competition gets under way.

Lionora

Fair as a mountain rose, Lionora is the young daughter of the Venetian governor, the prize to be awarded to the winner of the battle between her lovestruck suitors Vieri and Rinaldo. Her heart beats in secret for one of the two rivals, but she does not reveal his name. She is dressed in an enchanting gown in organza, silk and handcrafted soprarizzo velvet embellished with green acanthus leaves on a golden background.

Vieri

Knight of the Order of Rhodes, the young Vieri is a courtly soul, son of the nobleman Cante da Vallonara, a faithful servant of Venice. As soon as he spots Lionora on the street, he falls hopelessly in love with her, so much so that he is ready to battle to the death for her hand. He is dressed in an elegant doublet fashioned in silk and green and gold soprarizzo velvet, woven by hand on a loom and embellished with floral braiding.

Oldrada

The younger sister of the governor, this young Venetian woman is the prize her noble brother has chosen to award to the loser of the chess challenge. She is wearing a dress elaborately crafted in silk, organza and powder-pink soprarizzo velvet, with a pattern of pinecones, flowers and leaves on a burnished background.

Rinaldo

Rinaldo, known as Spadaforte, is the son of the nobleman Rambaldo d’Angarano, an earnest defender of the Republic of Venice. He is also bewitched by the beauty of Lionora, for whose love he is prepared to challenge Vieri without hesitation. He is dressed in a purplish-coloured doublet and a sleeveless surcoat in soprarizzo velvet embellished with large pendulous flowers.

Prudenzia

Prudenzia is Lionora’s loving nurse. She secretly dreams of her brother-in-law the governor finding her a husband, and is prepared to set off on a pilgrimage to be graced with such a miracle. She is dressed in a green satin gown with a tunic fashioned in blue velvet and a two-cornered hat in pure white muslin with a drooping veil and a chinstrap.

Taddeo Parisio

Taddeo Parisio is the Venetian governor with the fate of the town of Marostica in his hands, responsible for supervising the belligerent townsfolk, always ready to take up arms against their rivals. It is Parisio who wisely decides to forbid the bloody duel between Vieri and Rinaldo for the favours of his daughter Lionora. His attire consists of a long cymar in peacock blue brocade with broad sleeves, a privilege befitting the office of a Venetian magistrate.

Historian

Lunardo da Fiatolongo is the governor’s secretary, and we have him to thank for the account from which today’s Chess Game originates. He is wearing a biretta with a scarlet stole folded over his shoulder, and a long black velvet coat edged with vair and with broad sleeves.

Heralds

The Heralds take their place on the podium, ready to announce the rules of the challenge, and the prizes to be won; to introduce the contenders, comment on their moves and proclaim the winner. They are wearing a short costume edged with fur, featuring the colours and heraldic symbols of Marostica: three black crossbows on a white background.

Colombina

Sensual, astute and delightfully lively, Colombina plays the attractive little servant girl, and is the very image of light-hearted joie de vivre. She is wearing a blue cotton dress with sleeves tied with ribbon, a light blue apron and a purple doublet with corset fastening at the front.

Arlecchino

Carefree and cheerful, but at the same time sharp and enterprising, the servant Arlecchino is always hungry, always dreaming of food and fun. He is dressed in a white smock and breeches with multi-coloured diamond-shaped patches, and wears a mask, shoes and black felt birettta worn sideways.

Mestre de camp

When Zuan del Lovo, the mestre de camp, enters the scene astride his courser, he seems to have surfaced from the depths of the Middle Ages. He is wearing the uniform of commander of the Schiavoni infantry, with his coat of arms on his chest, featuring three golden wolves’ heads.

The Chessboard

All of a sudden, the door opens wide, and into the intense light emerge the human chess pieces, moving with a proud, majestic bearing worthy of figures out of this world. The Kings, Queens, Bishops, Rooks, Knights and Pawns advance proudly towards the board in their fine costumes, and each takes up their place. The Chessboard is ready for battle to commence.

Soldiers

The captains shout out their orders, and the soldiers of the castle come forth to honour the challenge with a display of orders and formations. Among them are the young, newly recruited crossbowmen and archers, the veterans that make up the halberdier corps and the Schiavoni infantry, the gonfalonier and a handful of longbow archers.

Standard-bearers of Marostica

A representation of the town’s neighbourhoods and age-old guilds, the Standard-Bearers appear behind the Standard of the Town and the Captains. Starting off in step, the parade soon gathers speed, becoming a spinning carousel of encounters, exchanges and exercises with a standard on a long pole and no yoke, requiring an impressive athletic effort.

Drums and Trumpets

After an initial drum roll, the piazza resounds with snare drums and parade drums in the colours of Marostica and the rhythms of war. These are followed by a fanfare of brass clarions, with their shrill sound, draped with the standard of Marostica.

Sbandieratori dei Borghi e Sestieri Fiorentini flag throwers

The prestigious flag-throwing school of Figline Valdarno is composed of captains, drummers, trumpeters and flag-wavers, with soloists able to perform incredible athletic feats.

The Court

Introduced by the master of ceremonies, the court of the castle enters the field, under the watchful eye of the ladies at the windows. This lavish procession of noble men and women, handmaidens, pages and clergymen is destined to showcase the magnificence of Venice.

Vallonara Family

Accompanied by a noble coterie, Cante da Vallonara swears allegiance to Venice, asking the governor for the hand in marriage of Lionora for his son Vieri, or licence to duel.

Angarano Family

Rambaldo d’Angarano, escorted by an entourage of courtiers, arrives to claim the hand of Lionora for his son next to him, or permission for a swordfight.

Embassies

The embassies have come from the allied cities of Venice, Verona, Este, Montagnana, Padua, Vicenza and Florence. They are preceded by the master of ceremonies of the court, and parade dressed in their finery to pay tribute to the governor and to witness the challenge.

Musicians

Troubadours and minstrels have arrived in the Campo Grande with their bizarre, ancient instruments. Suddenly, the piazza is filled with accords, tunes and harmonies, as the sound of the Middle Ages fills the air.

Dancers

The first to leap and gyrate to the music are the ordinary townswomen, with their garish dresses from the market; they are then followed by the companions of the new brides, dancing in their veiled costumes to express their joy for the nuptials. In both cases, the dancing is a graceful expression of happiness.

Comics

When the covered carriage of the company of comics approaches, the excitement of the audience is palpable. The commedia dell’arte is formed by jugglers, fire-eaters and a cheerful troupe of strolling players in black and white. Among them is also a little group of cunning gypsy girls.

Borghi

Parading below their standards are the ancient borghi, or neighbourhoods, of Marostica: Borgo Panica; Borgo Giara, Borgo Castello, Roveredo, Borgo San Sebastian and Borgo Carmini. With them are the two major guilds: the straw-weavers and potters.

Massere

Marostica is renowned for its cherries, which are brought to the square by the massere, the fairest maidens in bloom among the ordinary townsfolk.

Knights

As the shodden hooves echo on the marble surface of the chessboard, the knights perform astride their fine horses.

History

The game