Between next May 24 and May 28, tourists visiting Florence and the local people will be able to “attack the fortress” in the middle of the city, climbing by rope over its medieval walls, to win a free entry into the Fitness Festival, Europe’s largest sports fest, taking home a medal and a picture of the individual feat. They will also win these trophies if they will be able to enter the fortress by mountain bike over a special trail.
After 17 successful years in the Italian sea resort of Rimini, where it has continued to register some 500,000 daily passages through the doors over a 9-day period, this annual event will be moving to Florence under a 5-year renewable contract. The Fitness Festival will be held in the city’s famous Fortezza da Basso, which hosts Pitti Uomo and other major fashion fairs.
The organizers of the festival have obtained strong support from the municipal authorities as well as from imports sports brands such as Diadora, Fila, Everlast and Reebok. The change of venue should bring in new visitors and raise the international visibility of the event, in tune with its growing internationalization.
The organizers of the Italian Fitness Festival, Andrea Lato and Gabriele Brustenghi, continue to be involved in smaller sports festivals all over the world, working together with local exhibition companies. This year it will be the turn of Valencia in Spain (Apr. 28-May 1), Istanbul (first week of May) and Cannes in France (July 6-9). Miami Beach in Florida will host their fitness festival for the 8th time next Nov. 9-12. Boston, Chicago, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Moscow and Beijing should follow in 2007.
