Every two years, the main piazza in Marostica, Italy, is transformed into a giant chessboard. More than 500 townspeople wearing elaborate medieval costumes portray chessmen and act out a living game. Thousands of spectators watch from bleachers, cheering loudly when a castle is lost and moaning when there is an impending checkmate. The local players begin rehearsing in March; some start out as pawns and over the years work their way up to become knights, kings, and queens. The moves in the game are spoken in an ancient dialect, including the final scácco matto! (checkmate). Discussfrom Today's Holiday http://ift.tt/2cxGsj5
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