Gioco del Ponte or the Game of Bridge is a summer attraction in Pisa, a historical manifestation held yearly on the last Sunday of June, in which the people of Tramontana and Mezzogiorno, geographically split by the Arno river, participate in a historical procession, with 709 walk-ons, then challenge each other to a physical match in which their teams, each composed of 20 members, try to conquer the “Ponte di Mezzo” (the main bridge in Pisa) by pushing a trolley in order to force the rival team off the bridge.

The actual battle is preceded by a historical procession with participants wearing period armature and costumes (around 750 in Spanish style) and with the banners of the participating teams of the four ‘historical’ quarters of Pisa. The actual battle does not consist of shields or weapons but challenging each other in a trial of strength which consists in pushing a heavy trolling (seven tons) set on tracks fifty meters long. The final victory goes to the Party which has won the greater number of battles, pushing the trolley into the enemy field and knocking over the staff with the banner with the colors of the enemy party.

Originally the event of Gioco del Ponte took place twice a year: January 17th, the day of Saint Anthony Abbot and it went on until 1782 when it was suppressed by Pietro Leopoldo on grounds of public order. The game returned to the bridge from 1950 to 1963. After another lengthy interruption, the event returned to its original magnificence in the edition of 1982.