Twice a decade a small town in the province of Vicenza turns its main square into a chessboard and plays a full match with people as the pieces. Around 650 costumed performers — players, court, soldiers, flag-throwers, musicians — move across the giant board inlaid in the paving of Piazza degli Scacchi, below the walls that climb to the upper castle.
It is not a re-enactment staged for coach parties. The board is a permanent feature of the square, the cast is drawn from the town, and the whole thing happens only in even-numbered years. That scarcity is the single most important practical fact about it, and the one most travel listings omit.
For the first time, the game is spread across two weekends rather than one. All performances start at 21:00.
Booking: Associazione Pro Marostica — +39 0424 72127, info@marosticascacchi.it
| What it is | A chess match played with living pieces — around 650 costumed performers — on the giant board set into the paving of Piazza degli Scacchi. Source: marosticascacchi.it |
|---|---|
| 2026 dates | 4-5 and 11-12 September 2026, performances at 21:00. Two weekends, four evenings. Source: marosticascacchi.it |
| How often | Every two years, in even-numbered years only. Next edition after 2026: 2028. Source: marosticascacchi.it |
| Booking | Numbered seating, reservation required. About 70% of tickets were sold by mid-May 2026. Source: Askanews, 12 May 2026 |
| Organiser | Associazione Pro Marostica — +39 0424 72127, info@marosticascacchi.it Source: marosticascacchi.it |
| Where | Piazza degli Scacchi, in front of the Castello Inferiore, Marostica (province of Vicenza, Veneto). |
The game is framed by a story set in 1454: two suitors, Rinaldo d'Angarano and Vieri da Vallonara, both wanted to marry Lionora, daughter of the castellan Taddeo Parisio. Duelling was banned, so the castellan had them settle it over a chessboard instead — the winner marrying Lionora, the loser marrying her younger sister Oldrada. Whether any of it happened matters less than what it produced: a tradition revived in 1954 that has run ever since.
It is an open-air performance in a stone square in early September, starting at 21:00 and running past 23:00. Bring a layer — the Veneto foothills cool down sharply after dark. Seating is numbered and tiered around the board; the higher tiers give you the geometry of the match, the lower ones give you the costumes. Neither is wrong, but if you want photographs of the board as a board, go high.
Marostica has no railway station of its own. The usual approach is a train to Vicenza or Bassano del Grappa and a local bus from there, or simply a car. This matters more than usual for this event: performances start at 21:00 and finish late, and evening public transport in the area thins out considerably. Before committing to a train, check that a return service actually exists at that hour — if it does not, stay overnight in Marostica, Bassano or Vicenza rather than assuming you can get back.
The next edition is 2028. In the meantime the square, the board and both castles are there year-round, and Marostica sits within easy reach of Bassano del Grappa, Asolo and the Palladian villas of the Veneto plain. It is a good half-day even without 650 people in costume on the paving.
The 2026 edition plays on 4-5 and 11-12 September at 21:00 in Piazza degli Scacchi. For the first time the game is spread across two weekends rather than one.
No. It is staged every two years, in even-numbered years only. After September 2026 the next edition is in 2028.
Yes. Seating in the square is numbered and reservation is required. Around 70% of tickets had already sold by mid-May 2026, so do not plan to buy on the door.
Through Associazione Pro Marostica, who organise the event: +39 0424 72127 or info@marosticascacchi.it, and the official site marosticascacchi.it.
A full chess match is played out on the giant board inlaid in Piazza degli Scacchi, with people as the pieces — roughly 650 costumed performers in total, including the players, court, soldiers and musicians. The match is framed by the legend of a 1454 duel fought as chess rather than swords for the hand of Lionora Parisio.
Yes. The chess square is there year-round, inlaid in the paving between the Castello Inferiore and the walls that climb the hill to the Castello Superiore. Marostica is also known for its cherries, which have IGP status. But in even-numbered Septembers the town is a different place entirely.
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