Pelayo Trinquet
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The Pelayo trinquet () is one of the most renowned trinquets courts of the
Valencian pilota Valencian pilota ( "Valencian ball") is a traditional handball sport played in the Valencian Community. Its origins are not known. Rules variations within the generic ''Pilota Valenciana'' category are frequent from area to area but the common ...
sport in
Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...
. The most important
Escala i corda Escala i corda (, "stairs and rope") is the most prestigious variant of Valencian pilota, and the only one apart from raspall to have professional players. History The "Escala i corda" variant began around 1910, when the player Nel de Murla s ...
competitions, such as the
Circuit Bancaixa The Circuit Bancaixa (; "Bancaixa League"), officially Liga Profesional Escala i Corda, is the professional league of Valencian pilota. Circuit Bancaixa name is taken from its main sponsor, the Valencian savings bank Bancaixa, (later Bankia and n ...
, have their final matches played there.


History

On August 20, 1868, a new trinquet was inaugurated, next to the ''Estació del Nord'' railway station, at ''Pelayo'' street, hence its name ''Pelayo trinquet''. Ever since that date, it has maintained its function as a Valencian Pilota court, without any remarkable interruption. During the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
the Pelayo trinquet was confiscated and administered by a trade union. Its current owners, the Tuzón family, bought it in 1976 and are responsible for its renovation and current appearance.


The courtfield

The Pelayo ''trinquet'' is nowadays a part of a restaurant-bar. In order to go to the courtfield spectators exit from the restaurant to a patio (covered by a sunshade), and from there they enter into the ''trinquet'' through a door next to the ''llotgeta'' corner. Pelayo trinquet is, according to the necessities of the Valencian Pilota sport, an elongated court, with a length of 58.5 m, width of 11 m and height of 3 m. Despite its required elongated shape, it is actually one of the widest trinquets, which involves some challenge for players, who are used to smaller courts. This trinquet is power-lit and equipped with an electronic scoreboard on the wall behind the ''rest'' gallery. The Pelayo trinquet has four galleries, the usual two on the ''dau'' and ''rest'' walls plus two more over the side walls. The llotgeta is very wide and slightly lifted up, but without a protective wall for watchers (only a net to catch high balls), also, the authority llotgeta covers it absolutely, so it's more difficult to throw the ball into the lower ''llotgeta''. On the ''dau'' wall, next to the ''llotgeta'' there's a wooden door to the patio, this door is normally open to allow casual spectators some indirect vision of the game and it becomes another place where the players aim the ball, in order to tamper the rival's back shot. Also, when the door is closed, the rebounds on the wooden door are unpredictable. Regarding rebounces, it should be said that on the ground of the ''dau'' and ''rest'' walls there's a "''tamborí''", a 45° besel that raises up low balls with fast and unexpected rebounces. In the beginning the ground was just gravel, then until the 1920s it was covered with tiles. Finally, in 1976 a roof was built and it became an indoor court. Before this date and, to some extent, shortly after (through holes made in the fences by corrosion) it was not uncommon that balls could fly out of the trinquet. Due to the high price of the vaqueta balls, every time a ball was thrown away, somebody (usually a boy) had the duty of searching for it. In order to accomplish this task he had free access to the neighbours' home ''patios'', who, in exchange, had also free tickets to the matches.


Honor gallery

Over the ''dau'' there are five huge pictures featuring the players who have earned a reputation as idols in this trinquet (and, by extension, in the whole game) over the decades. Taking into account that the Pelayo trinquet has been open for more than 100 years and there have been hundreds of players, its reduced number speaks of the strict criteria and the consensus gathered around those selected players. Left to right, they are: * José Vicente Riera Calatayud, ''El Nel de Murla'' * Alberto Arnal, ''Quart'' * Julio Palau Lozano, ''Juliet d'Alginet'' * Antonio Reig, ''Rovellet'' *
Paco Cabanes Pastor Francisco "Paco" Cabanes Pastor (20 December 1954 – 31 July 2021) was a Spanish professional Valencian pilota player known by his town's name, Genovés I, and who has begun a ''pilotaris'' saga with his son, ''José Cabanes, Genovés II''. ...
, ''Genovés I''


References

{{reflist Valencian pilota Sports venues in Valencia