Valencian trinquet
Encyclopedia
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...
for two different modalities of Valencian pilota
Valencian pilota
Valencian pilota is a traditional handball sport played in the Valencian Community. Its origins are not known, but seems to be related to the French Jeu de paume....
: the Escala i corda
Escala i corda
Escala i corda is the most prestigious variant of Valencian pilota, and the only one, with Raspall, that have professional players.- History :...
and the Raspall
Raspall
Raspall is a variant of the handball game, Valencian pilota, played mainly in the Valencian regions south to the Xúquer river: the Vall d'Albaida, the Safor, the Costera, the Marina Alta and the Marina Baixa. It is also popular in the Ribera Baixa...
.
Court
Trinquets are closed rooms of variable size: from 8.5–11 m wide and 45–60 m long.The short walls are called "frontons", and the long are the "muralles", 4–6 m high. The ball may bounce at them as many times as desired. On the frontons there are usually seats for the spectators, these are called the "galleries". And sometimes on the muralles, too.
There are also stairs (escales in Valencian
Valencian
Valencian is the traditional and official name of the Catalan language in the Valencian Community. There are dialectical differences from standard Catalan, and under the Valencian Statute of Autonomy, the Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua has been established as its regulator...
) built on one of the muralles. Spectators may seat on them as well at their own risk. The ball is played many times on them since the stairs (and bodies of the people) may cause fast and unexpected bounces.
The court is divided in two midfields, the "dau" and the "rest".
On the corner of the "dau" frontó and the stairs there is a square draw on the ground, it's the dau (dice in Valencian). That's the place where every quinze begins.
On the corner of the "dau" frontó and the other muralla there is another place for bold spectators, the llotgeta (little balcony in Valencian).
Escala i corda
Escala i corda is the most prestigious variant of Valencian pilota, and the only one, with Raspall, that have professional players.- History :...
match is going to be played there is a rope ("corda" in Valencian) used as net to divide both midfields. Under that rope there is a special mark on the ground. This mark is where a special player (the "feridor") must bounce the ball before sending it to the dau in order to begin every quinze.
Spectators
Spectators may sit in different places of the court. The more prudent or simply casual watchers may choose to sit on the galleries on the top of the walls, where the ball is not sent (in the Circuit BancaixaCircuit Bancaixa
The Circuit Bancaixa , officially Lliga Professional d'Escala i Corda, is the Escala i corda league for this Valencian pilota modality professional players...
league).
But many people prefer to seat on the stairs, the "escala". In Escala i corda
Escala i corda
Escala i corda is the most prestigious variant of Valencian pilota, and the only one, with Raspall, that have professional players.- History :...
they all are restricted to seat on the "rest" midfield. It is not too dangerous but spectators seated there have to keep an eye on the ball because players may send it toward them in order to cause a special effect or an irregular bounce. In Raspall
Raspall
Raspall is a variant of the handball game, Valencian pilota, played mainly in the Valencian regions south to the Xúquer river: the Vall d'Albaida, the Safor, the Costera, the Marina Alta and the Marina Baixa. It is also popular in the Ribera Baixa...
games the stairs are out of play, so people sitting there may feel a bit safer.
Renowned trinquets
Many towns and cities have trinquets, some of them centuries old. The oldest accounts of these courts are from the 15th century, in ValènciaValencia
-In Spain:* Valencia , Spain, capital of the Valencia Autonomous Community* Valencian Community, an autonomous community of Spain**Valencian people, an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is the Valencian Community...
.
Two of them are famous:
- Pelayo trinquetPelayo trinquetThe Pelayo trinquet is one of the most renowned trinquets courts of the Valencian pilota sport in Valencia. The most important Escala i corda competitions, such as the Circuit Bancaixa, have their final matches played there.- History :...
, in ValènciaValencia-In Spain:* Valencia , Spain, capital of the Valencia Autonomous Community* Valencian Community, an autonomous community of Spain**Valencian people, an ethnic group or nationality whose homeland is the Valencian Community...
, where matches are held since the 19th century and a place every pilotari wants to win. In fact, hundreds of players have passed by, but only 5 of them were honored to have their pictures exhibited, that's the Honor Gallery. - Trinquet El Zurdo, in GandiaGandiaGandia is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, Eastern Spain on the Mediterranean. Gandia is located on the Costa del Azahar, 65 km south of Valencia and 96 km north of Alicante....
, also called The RaspallRaspallRaspall is a variant of the handball game, Valencian pilota, played mainly in the Valencian regions south to the Xúquer river: the Vall d'Albaida, the Safor, the Costera, the Marina Alta and the Marina Baixa. It is also popular in the Ribera Baixa...
cathedral.