History of Tamburello

The Tmburello is a former sport whose origins are lost in time. The Greeks and Romans ere great lovers of ball games. They have come down to us remains of "pila ludere", what you know how to "play the ball",

But in the Renaissance, with the Giuoco Treaty, we get the firs official information related to this emerging sport: with games like the "brazalete" "pallacorda" anda especially the "paleta" inwhich the ball is hit with a knife with a strip of leather around the handle.
Over time, the tool changes into a wooden frame on shich an animal skin stretche.
The game was ther alternative "poor" the game of the "brazalete", which provied a costly equipment and was reserved for the nobles.

In the mid-19th century, the Tamburello began its history agonistic, becoming popular in the province of Verona and Mantua, extending in 1850 to Liguria and Tuscany, and then to Piedmont and Lombardy.

In those years, the leathers used for tambourine were veal or pork, stretched on wooden frames; at the end of the century spread of horse skins (replaced by synthetic materials a few tens of years ago).
Balls, first were leather with a diameter of 38 mm and a weight of 50 grams, but were replaced from 1879 by the rubber.

However, the crucial year in the history of the Tamburello is the 1890, year in which is recognized, as a game, by the Federation of Gymnastics Italian (born 1869).
The first official Champinship was held in 1898; involve 4 teams, and it is won the company Nicolo Barabino of Genoa.

Not al were partakers of the Tamburello to become Olympic discipline.
In fact, in 1903, De Coubertin decided to organize the Olympic Games of 1908 in Rome, it was the first contacts with the King Vittorio Emanuelle and pope Pío X, that convinced him that idea was feasible.

The project of the gymnastic Federation provides as well (March 16, 1903) the presence of the Tamburello along with other 20 disciplines. The idea of the Roman Olympic Games fail, and with it, the Olympic dream of the Tamburello.

After 15 years, discipline revives the hope of at least entering squadron of demonstration sports at the Olympic Games in Amsterdam. The attempt does not succeed, however. 

In 1926, some Florentine fans had called on Italian sports clubs interested in the tamburello to found a Federation dedicated to this sport, to promote its development and promote the events, protecting and coordinating different companies and different player. 

On 14 November in Florence, are boards 39 major companies Tamburello, who founded the Federazione Italiana Gioco Tamburello, whit based in the Tuscan capital and being its first president Pietro Pucci.

The new body is appreciated and joined the Federation Pallone: FIPT, Italian Pallone and Tamburello Federation become the 33rd Federation of Coni. 

 After the results in Amsterdam, Mussolini, disappointed with the games for the lower than expected results, ade the President of Coni Ferretti replace Commissioner Augusto Turati, who, newly elected, will eoliminate some federations and abolish the FIPT.

After the war, in Bologna, has recovered the FIPT. Therefore, activities resumed with enthusiasm in Ovada, Verona, Milan and Genoa.

Thus, if in 82 the Tamburello was played only in intalia and France, today, has spread in most of Europe, America, Asia and Australia.

Today, the tamburello is culture and tradition, but also sport: challenging and spectacular.