The legendary affair dates back to 1454 when Marostica was one of the loyalties of the Venetian Republic.
It happened that two noble knights Rinaldo d’Angarano and Vieri da Vallonara fell in love at the same time with the beautiful Lionora, daughter of Taddeo Parisio governor of Marostica, and challenged each other for her in a bloody duel.
But the governor, who did not want to antagonize either of the two spirited youths and lose them in a duel, forbade the clash, also referring to an edict of Cangrande della Scala. He therefore decided that Lionora would go in marriage to the one of the rivals who won a game of the noble game of chess held in the parade ground with living pieces. The loser would himself become his kinsman by marrying Oldrada, his younger sister.
The Game in the World. The Living Characters Chess Game is one of the most sought-after and performed Italian historical-folkloric spectacles in the world, perhaps because of the universality of the subject that makes it comprehensible and compelling under any latitude, or perhaps because of the scenographic sumptuousness of its costumes capable of reviving the mythical splendor of the Most Serene Republic of St. Mark. The re-enactment, whose extraordinary journey began back in 1923 as a simple costumed chess challenge, has had the opportunity eleven times to be replicated in other countries. The first international trip was in 1958, when the Chess Game, fresh from the resounding success of the 1954 edition created by Mirko Vocetich and recounted by the world’s most authoritative magazines (United Press, Illustrated London, The Sunday’s Time, Times, Life and Time, The National Geographic Magazine, etc.), was called to Brussels as part of the Expo to represent the history and culture of the entire Italian nation. In that case, the show was produced in the square in front of the Gothic Cathedral of St. Michel-et-Gudule and had an exceptional competition and audience favor. Other major outings followed: Lucerne (1976), New York (1984), Philadelphia (1984), Los Angeles (1984), Vancouver (1986), Stuttgart (1987), Sao Paulo (1991), Chicago (1992), Denver (1992), Toronto (1997), Lugano (2001) Each time the Chess Game won the admiring acclaim of the press and spectators. The last performance outside European borders is dated 2003 and was in Melbourne as part of the promotional initiative "Veneto Week" curated by the Veneto Region for the Australian state of Victoria. Again, the show, held in a magical atmosphere at Vodafone Stadium, did not fail to raise enthusiasm.
