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Valencian Pilota
Valencian pilota is a traditional game which is very popular amongst the Valencian Community. While it is unclear where the sport originated from, it appears to be derived from the Jeu de paume game, which is played in France.
Rules of the game vary, depending on which area the game is played, but the common factor all variations share is the fact that a ball must be hit by bare, or minimally protected hands. Whether or not protection is used, once again depends on the variety of the game that is played.
The game revolves around two teams of up to five players, depending on which variety of the game is played. 1on 1 matches are also not unheard of, as it is common for famous players to duel it out between each other in a 1 vs. 1 game of Valencian pilota.
Valencian pilota is not played using a wall and bears more similarities with modern day tennis. Two teams centered face to face on a field divided by a line or net, makes up the environment in which the game is played.
Where the game originated from remains uncertain, but popular belief speculates it may have been derived from Jeu de paume, during the Middle Ages, and combined it with features from other popular handball games from other countries in Europe.
Assuming this belief to be correct, Jeu de paume supposedly dates back to at least 1292 when the game was documented for the first time. At that period in time there seem to have existed at least 13 ball workshops and many court fields designed for playing the game. The score system was the same as the system used by current Valencian pilota games. Comparisons made during the 16th century by Joan Lluís Vives conclude that despite some minor differences the games were in essence the same.
During that period in time Valencian pilota was very popular as it was played by all members of society at that time, the lower classes and the upper classes.
The Valencia City Council tried to stop the game being played on the streets, but failed, however the ruling did cause the amount of courts to grow significantly. During the 16th century, the upper class moved on to other games, which were cleaner to play, and the middle and lower class members of society continued to play Valencian pilota, which brought about the very first professionals of the game, as well as being responsible for the arrival of gambling operations that allowed for betting on the matches.
In modern times, the game is played throughout the entire community of Valencia, with every part of the area playing their own preferred variation of the game. Traditionally, professionals are hired to play the game during festivals and other events. Typically these hired players will play the game on the streets of the town. While the game remained popular throughout the ages, its popularity is once again on the rise since the creation of new courts at the public schools in the area.
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