Venetian Stories podcast

Episode 16 — The game of Pallone

Written and presented by

René Seindal
Venetian Stories
Venetian Stories
Episode 16 — The game of Pallone
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Introduction

Ball games were popular in the past. While some of them have modern descendants, most of the many ball games of the past are now completely forgotten.

In this episode, we’ll talk about proper ball games: noble games for decent people.

Calcio, as discussed in the previous episode, wasn’t a real ball game.

So what was a real and noble game for decent people?

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Images

An engraving on yellowed paper, where the prints on the other side show through. Left is a ball, made of eight triangular pieces, with a reinforcement where they meet. On a line across the ball is the word: Diameter. Right, above, is a detailed view of the wooden arm-guard, with the handle clearly visible, and the seven rows of spikes. Below this, a pump, which resembles a fusion of a bicycle pump and a closed umbrella. At the bottom, an elongated horizontal rectangle divided in six parts, with a text below, saying half a Roman foot, divided into six ounces.
The ball, arm guard and pump from Scaino (1555)
An engraving on yellowed paper. It shows a square extending away with various buildings on either side. In the foreground is a canal with some boats, and a bridge across with some people. Across the bridge is a crowd of people, forming a half-circle, open towards the centre of the square, which is mostly empty. It is only occupied by a few players of a ball game.
Veduta del Campo de Giesuiti — by Domenico Lovisa (1717)
This is a detail of the previous engraving, which shows some of the players of the ball game. At the bottom is the half-circle of the crowd. Four players span the picture, each with a large arm-guard on their right forearm. In the middle, a man is ready to launch a ball in the air, and a player is ready to hit it with his arm-guard. Two more balls are lying on the ground.
The team line up for the game of Pallone
This is a detail of the first engraving, around the right side of the half-circle of spectators. Here they are standing and sitting on chairs close to a well-head. Some of the persons and chairs in the back are scattered on the ground, as a man is falling over, hit in the head by a rogue ball from the game. A red arrow points at the ball.
Right-side incident of spectator hit by ball
This too is a detail of the first engraving, showing the lower left, with the half-circle of people, and an open area behind the crowd. At the top, more people and chairs have fallen to the ground. A group of three well-dressed men are leaving the square, led by a running dog. Close to the canals, a small group of children are playing, but one is running towards the canal. In a passing gondola, the front rower is keeling over, as a rogue ball from the game hits him on the head, and knocks off his hat. A woman from the cabin of the gondola is stretching out her arm to help him.
Left side incident, gondoliere hit by ball
Watercolour of a player of pallone. He is dressed in a white shirt, red breeches with a short skirt over, and white stockings. On his right arm is the wooden arm guard for the game, and at this feet a ball.
A player of pallone — Giovanni Grevembroch (c.1754)

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