Palla Eh! - Piloni Tournament

An ancient game that thrives in the Maremma villages

Palla Eh!, also known as palla a 21, is one of the oldest and most fascinating traditional sports in Tuscany. It is a bare-handed game whose origins, passed down through generations, trace back to games played by the ancient Romans, which were in turn inspired by the Greeks. Unlike many traditions relegated to history books, Palla Eh! is still very much alive and played today: it takes place in the streets and squares, without dedicated facilities, exactly as it did centuries ago.

The Piloni Tournament is one of the most awaited events of the summer season. It takes place every year in August in Piloni, a small hamlet in the municipality of Roccastrada, in the province of Grosseto, nestled in the woods of the Maremma Colline Metallifere. For two days, the village transforms into a large open-air playing field, where the bounce of the ball and the shouts of the players set the rhythm of the festival.

The rules, in brief

The game is played between two teams of up to five players each, ranging in age from the youngest to veterans. The ball—a small projectile weighing just 30-35 grams, with a lead core wrapped in rubber, wool, and leather—must be struck only with the hand and must be returned on the fly or after the first bounce. The court is a natural space, usually a village street or square, delimited by two lines. A central figure is the mandatore, the player who puts the ball into play: the popular name of the game derives from his shout of "eh!" at the moment of the serve. The scoring follows the logic of tennis (15, 30, 40, advantage), which is also why it is called "palla a 21".

The competing villages

Palla Eh! survives in a small pocket of territory straddling the provinces of Grosseto and Siena. The season features teams from the villages that safeguard the tradition:

• Piloni and Torniella (Roccastrada)
• Vetulonia and Tirli (Castiglione della Pescaia)
• Ciciano (Chiusdino) and Scalvaia (Monticiano)

The home team, the historic Squadra 75 Piloni, proudly carries on the village's tradition, valuing "passion, tenacity, and attachment to one's cultural roots" even more than pure physical strength.

A recognized heritage

In December 2022, traditional ball games—including the bracciale, the pantalera, and Palla Eh! itself—were added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, a recognition that rewards the tenacity of the Maremma communities in keeping this practice alive. Attending the Piloni tournament means connecting with an authentic piece of Tuscan folk culture, far from mass tourism circuits.

Why it is worth a visit

The Piloni Tournament is not just a sporting competition: it is a village festival where sport, local pride, and conviviality blend together. Between matches, it is easy to get caught up in the atmosphere of the village, filled with long tables, Maremma flavors, and a community proud of its roots. It is a chance to discover the hinterland of Roccastrada and a different side of Tuscany, defined by genuine traditions in the heart of the province of Grosseto.