A human pyramid with a view of the Venetian lagoon ('Le forze d'Ercole')

The Forze d'Ercole, or 'Strengths of Hercules', was a Venetian civic competition held during Carnival which demonstrated great strengths and acrobatic dexterity through human pyramids and walls. The teams came from rival districts - the black-capped Nicolotti from Dorsoduro near the Church of San Nicolo dei Mendicolo (as in the present composition), and the red-capped Castellani from the sestiere Castella, San Marco and Dorsoduro. The event was a celebration of the Serenissima's 12th-century military victory over neighboring Aquileia. For more information see Robert C. Davis' The War of the Fists: Popular Culture and Public Violence in Late Renaissance Venice, 1994.