Live Chess Match - Marostica

Marostica is a small town with a large castle on a hill about 35 minutes from Vicenza.  Pretty much right after I got here people started telling me oh you have to do this and that and this other thing. Phil and I have embraced the advice when possible and have made it to a few "once in a lifetime" or at least once every couple years events over this past summer.  The Marostica Chess Match is one such event that everyone talked about: "it only happens every two years and you have to go."  Well since it was this year and we still don't know for sure how long we will be here we figured we better embrace it now for fear we would miss it the next time around.

I bought tickets months ago and even splurged a little to get good seats since I figured we would never go again.  At the last minute we convinced two other couples to go as well using the same statements that had been made to us: "it only happens every two years and you have to go." 

Saturday was the night.  We set out with Jim, Lauren, and baby Lydia to Marostica.  (Mike & Joy took a bus and met us there for a drink.) First thing that happened is that we all thought it started at 7pm, so we figured if we get there at 4 we can walk around, have an early dinner and then go to the match.  Well as we pulled into the parking lot and checked tickets, it turned out that it didn't start until 9pm, so we had a little more time than we needed. 

Not to be discouraged we made the best of it, we started with a walk around the city, almost made an attempt up to the castle but got some gelato and dessert instead, walked around a little more, considered walking up to the castle a second time but headed to dinner instead. 

Stairs to the upper castle

We choose what was advertised as a Spanish restaurant with tapas (Italians don't do foreign food well).  Again we made the best of it, had some Sangria, some ok food and then headed to a Beer Garden.  After a drink there we got our tickets from will call and met Joy & Mike for one last beer before the show. 

Through dinner and drinks we all realized that we weren't really sure what to expect from the evening.  Despite the urging of everyone in the community to partake in this event if we had the opportunity, we realized that no one had ever said this is what it is like or this is what happens.  We all sort of imagined a Harry Potter type event without the actual killing.  Mike & Joy came with information from their bus driver that the event was 2 hours long and included over 500 participants. We had no idea what to expect.

Wow -- I am long winded today -- all of that and I am just getting to the chess match!
NOTE: Throughout this blog I use the term Chess Match generally to refer to the event, but as a description it is used loosely. 

As with most things in Italy, the chess match didn't start on time.  Around 9:30 they started with a history of the event.  First they lit the perimeter of the "board" up in flames - pretty cool. 

Then there was presentation of the royal family; then all the royals from the Veneto Region.

Then a guy on a horse who threw a glove, Phil informed me this is what they did to indicate a duel, but the guy who threw the glove wasn't involved in the duel so I don't know what the significance was. After that there was some dancing, some sword fighting, some bands, and A LOT of flag twirling. 

Around 1030 I started checking my watch thinking this is supposed to be only 2 hours and it is supposed to be a chess match and we are half-way through and still no chess.  Well at about 1045 the chess pieces came out. They were truly beautiful and very neat how each was dressed to match their role/piece.  The chess match lasted about 45 minutes including all the pomp and circumstance of presentation of the pieces before and after, so actually chess time maybe 30 minutes. 

 

Check-Mate

 

Presentation of the daughters and then there was more flags and parade.

 Every time a group of people left the stage we thought we were getting closer to the end but a minute later they would be marching back out.  At the very end there was a bow of sorts where everyone, all 500 plus participants were presented to the crowd and then stood on the board while flaming arrows were shot at the lower castle lighting fireworks that then turned into waterfall fireworks down the sides of the castle - very cool.

All in all it was a nice day in a beautiful city.  We want to go back to Marostica for shopping and to the upper castle (it was too hot to walk up that day) and we are glad we experienced the chess match but I don't think we will go to the chess match again even if we are still here in 2 years.