A mediaeval ball game in southern Tuscany - "Palla ventuno" or "Palla-eh"

A mediaeval ball game in southern Tuscany called "Palla ventuno" or "Palla-eh" is gaining in popularity to the extent that there are now competitions between teams from six villages in the Alta Maremma. Palla 21 is the Southern Tuscan variant of the jeux de paume, which has been played throughout most of Europe since ancient times and from which tennis reputedly originated.

Palla 21 being played in Torniella (Casa Reasco in the background)

Palla 21 is played wherever enough space is available: in the square of the village or for that matter on the main street if the village is so small it has no piazza! The ball is hand made, containing a lead pellet wrapped in rubber and wool with a leather cover. There is no referee. The game is played by facing teams who strike (not catch) the ball with either a bare or gloved hand. Courts are marked out with painted lines on town streets, but there is no net, and players can move between sides. Adjacent buildings, objects, and sometimes spectators, are considered "in play."

Scoring is almost identical to that of tennis (15-30-40-game). In the variant called pallaventuno (or palla 21) each game counts as 7, and a set is won with three games (7 for the first, 14 for the second, and 21 for the third, hence the name of the game). In the other variant, games are simply counted in progression (game 1, game 2). Pallacorda (or palla della corda) is an extinct form of the game where a cord (precursor of the tennis net) was strung across the street. Pisa, Prato, Rome, Sienna and various Tuscan towns still have streets named via Pallacorda or via Della Corda.

Vacation apartments in Torniella, convenient to Sienna and the Maremma. Ideal for groups of up to 12 persons. Holiday apartments for 2 to 6 persons. Both apartments may be rented together with additional rooms providing accommodation for groups of up to 12 vacationing together. Click here for more about Casa Reasco.

During 2014, this is the schedule - heats on the Saturday and finals on the Sunday:

• Scalvaia, 26-27 July
• Ciciano, 2-3 August
• Torniella, 9-10 August
• Piloni, 16-17 August
• Vetulonia, 23-24 August
• Tirli, 30-31 August

Don't forget to visit my Tuscany Travel Guide! Up-to-date news on what to see and where to stay in Chianti and all of Tuscany. Tuscany Travel Guide

Anna Maria Baldini

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