ACF Fiorentina

If Italy really is a leg kicking a football, then Florence sits right in the middle of the thigh.

Built around 59 BC by the Romans, the city grew along the River Arno, surrounded by fertile land and positioned perfectly as a hub for trade routes stretching across Tuscany and into northern Europe. Over time, it became one of the most famous cities in the world. During the Renaissance, it was the beating heart of the movement. Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, Michelangelo and Donatello and other Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles all spent time here. Today, Florence draws tourists from across the globe to wander its narrow streets, framed by terracotta rooftops, towers, and palaces, all centred around its incredible cathedral.

The city’s football club is almost as iconic as its skyline. ACF Fiorentina—known as La Viola (The Purple Ones)—play in one of the most distinctive colours in world football and have produced some classic kits over the years. The 1992 7Up shirt and the 1998 Nintendo sponsor remain standouts of the football kit collector’s wardrobe.

On the pitch, Fiorentina have won two Serie A titles, six Coppa Italia trophies, and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1961. They are also the only club to have reached the final of all four major European competitions. Over the years, they’ve been home to some outstanding players, including Rui Costa (pictured), Gabriel Batistuta, Roberto Baggio and Giancarlo Antognoni.

While they’re not at their peak right now, Fiorentina remain a significant club with a strong identity. In 2026, their owner Rocco Commisso passed away. An Italian-American billionaire, he founded Mediacom (the US’s 5^th largest cable TV network which have a real strength in regional sports) and purchased the club in 2019, aiming to modernise it. He frequently clashed with local authorities over plans for a new stadium. Their current ground, opened in 1931, was originally named after a fascist figure but is now known as the Stadio Artemio Franchi, after the former head of the Italian Football Association.

Their badge remains one of the most recognisable in football. It features a diamond shape, with a red fleur-de-lis in the upper half and a purple “V” below. The “V” represents Viola for their nickname, but the fleur-de-lis tells a much deeper story.

The symbol is taken directly from the crest of Florence. Known as the Giglio (Florentine Lily), it is a stylised red iris on a white background. Despite the name, it is based on the iris, a flower native to the Arno valley. Traditionally, it was shown in a bottonato style (which means it has small rounded buds or knob-like tips on the ends), although this detail was simplified out in the club’s 2022 rebrand.

The emblem also reflects Florence’s political history. Originally, the city used a white iris on a red background, but in 1251, following the victory of the Guelph faction, the colours were reversed. The Guelphs, who supported the Pope, defeated the Ghibellines, who backed the Holy Roman Emperor. The change in colours marked a clear shift in power and became the official symbol of the city.

The Giglio is often shown alongside the Marzocco, a seated lion representing Florence’s strength and authority. One of the most famous versions of this statue was created by Donatello. The symbol appears across the city—on the Palazzo Vecchio, on the city’s flag, on historical coins like the florin, and, of course, on the badge of Fiorentina.

However, the fleur-de-lis becomes even more interesting when we consider its loose (and partly coincidental) connection to Florence’s most powerful family, the House of Medici. The Medici were one of the most successful banking dynasties in Europe, operating across cities such as Rome, London, and Bruges. Their financial power translated into political dominance within Florence.

They are best known for their patronage, funding artists and thinkers who defined the Renaissance. Figures such as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci benefited from their support. This patronage was not simply generous—it was a way of displaying power and shaping the culture of the time.

In 1465, their status was further elevated when Louis XI of France granted them permission to include the French fleurs-de-lis in their coat of arms (hence the coincidental connection). This reflected their importance as bankers to European powers and strengthened ties between Florence and France.

Yet their story was not without tension. Rivalries with other powerful families led to events such as the Pazzi Conspiracy, an attempted assassination during Easter Mass. Despite this, the Medici endured, producing popes such as Pope Leo X and Pope Clement VII and shaping the political and cultural direction of Renaissance Europe.

From banking and politics to art and football badges, Florence, and their Violas, show how history, power, and identity can all be carried in a single symbol.

And if anyone knows where I can get an authentic 1998 Fiorentina Nintendo Jersey in Large.

Let me know!