The Compagnie della Calza were theatrical associations in Venice

Venice

Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...

 in the 15th and 16th centuries. The members wore distinctive hosiery

Hosiery

Hosiery, also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the feet and legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also known generically as hose...

 which gave them their name and met to arrange entertainments such as feasts and games.

They were founded around the mid 15th century in Venice where they organised the spettacoli cittadin (spectacles of the citizens). At the annual Carnival of Venice

Carnival of Venice

The Carnival of Venice is an annual festival, held in Venice, Italy. The Carnival starts 40 days before easter and ends on Shrove Tuesday , the day before Ash Wednesday.-History:...

, they arranged a series of performances for the Venetian nobility for which famous jesters of the time were hired. They also produced plays by famous playwrights such as Angelo Beolco

Angelo Beolco

Angelo Beolco , better known by the nickname Il Ruzzante or el Ruzante, was a Venetian actor and playwright.He is known by his rustic comedies in the Venetian language of Padua, featuring a peasant called "Ruzzante"...

 and Pietro Aretino

Pietro Aretino

Pietro Aretino was an Italian author, playwright, poet and satirist who wielded immense influence on contemporary art and politics and invented modern literate pornography.- Life :...

. They subsequently divided into separate companies. Some were named after virtue

Virtue

Virtue is moral excellence. A virtue is a positive trait or quality subjectively deemed to be morally excellent and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being....

s, such as the Floridi, the Uniti or the Concordi while others were named after guild

Guild

A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...

s such as the Ortolani (greengrocers) and the Zardinieri (gardeners). They distinguished themselves by the colour of their stockings and embroidery

Embroidery

Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....

 with the name or initials of the company.

Among the principal spectacles promoted by the companies were the momaria — masked

Masque

The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment which flourished in 16th and early 17th century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio...

 processions held along the canals — boat races, mock naval battles and theatrical performances held on floating theatres. During the festa della Sensa, which celebrated the marriage of the city to the sea, elaborate rituals were performed with foreign ambassadors and dignitaries in attendance.

Accounts of the companies appear in the diaries of Marino Sanuto the Younger

Marino Sanuto the Younger

----Marin Sanudo, italianised in Marino Sanuto or Sanuto the Younger was a Venetian historian.He was the son of the senator Leonardo Sanuto. Left an orphan at the age of ten, he lost his fortune owing to the bad management of his guardian, and was for many years hampered by want of means...

.