About
There has been a 100-year tradition of fist fights, marked by marble footsteps.
For centuries, Venetian folk have celebrated the tradition of epic fist fights atop their local bridges. Starting around 1600, from September to Christmas each year opposing clans would gather on small footbridges with no railings and go toe-to-toe until one opponent was knocked into the canal below. Though seen as undesirable by the ruling Council of Ten, these “Wars of the Fist” were still allowed as they were an upgrade from the older custom of stick fighting. It is said that in 1585 a Castelanni clan saw they were outnumbered by Nicoletti's and bravely shed their armor in favor of a more personal form of combat.
