June in Pisa is a month full of events, cultural events, historical pageants, concerts and carnivals involving the entire city of Pisa.
These are special celebrations that have roots in the early history of the city: a tradition that the population of Pisa really cares about and in which take part with enthusiasm.
Focal point of the celebrations is the festival in honor of the patron saint, San Ranieri, but around this event, there are others just as important as the Gioco del Ponte (game of the bridge).
Every year, on the evening of the last Saturday in June, on the Ponte di Mezzo above the Arno, you can witness the competition between the two sides of the city: Tramontana and Mezzogiorno (north and south of the river).
The event begins with the parade where participants to the game and other people parade along the riversides of Pisa in Spanish sixteenth-century costume. In total there are about 700 people, plus the parade in historical costumes of the judges.
After the parade each teams set on a side of the bridge and the game can begin. The win goes to the team that manages to push a cart mounted on rails to the other side of the bridge, the one of the opponents.
Gioco del Ponte attracts in the city many tourists intrigued by the atmosphere of celebration and by the typical costumes shown off for the occasion.