Wooden Bracelet For The Game Of "pallone Col Bracciale

Beechwood bracelet for the game of "pallone col bracciale." Pallone col bracciale was very popular in Italy during the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as in the 20th century up until the 1930s. It was even the most popular sport of all; its first regulations date back to 1555. Pallone col bracciale players are called pallonisti. In the 19th century, Italian players were the highest paid and most admired athletes. This sport and its champions were described by Johann Wolfgang Goethe and Giacomo Leopardi. The balls are returned using a kind of stick worn on the forearm called the bracciale (literally, "bracelet" in Italian). If used incorrectly, the bracciale can cause arm fractures because it weighs between one and two kilograms. Originally, the ball was filled with air and weighed 934 grams, but now solid rubber balls weighing 350 grams are used (cit. Wikipedia). This model was built in Emilia-Romagna, in Bubano, between the late 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century.