You’ll find Palla Eh! tucked into the sun-drenched hills of the Maremma, in villages where time has stayed still and every stone tells a story, a strange and thrilling ritual plays out each summer. The main road closes. The crowd hushes. And then—
“Eh!”
A shout rips through the warm air, followed by a crack! A rock-hard leather ball slams into motion, ricocheting off stone walls, batting the classic green shutters on the locals’ homes, and scattering tourists with a mix of confusion and delight. This is Palla Eh!
In this article
What is Palla Eh!
A traditional Tuscan game still very much alive—louder and rowdier than anything you’ll find in a stadium. We have written about so many reasons to visit Italy and this is possibly one of the best ones to veer off the Tuscan tourist trail and explore the hidden soul of the Maremma.
Forget the Stadium. This Game Belongs to the Streets.
You won’t find Palla Eh! on TV. There are no referees, no scoreboards, no rules painted neatly on a wall. The “court” is the village itself—cobbled streets, uneven paving, staircases, balconies, doorways, trees, windows, and anything else that gets in the way. Here, the street is the game, and every town’s version is unique.
The ritual begins the same way each time: a player cups their hands around their mouth and yells “Eh!”
It’s both a war cry and a warning—game on and move out of the way of the little flying ball!
How to Play Palla Eh!
Similar to tennis but played bare-handed but most people wear gloves now, and understandably so! Played on the medieval streets of the Maremma in Tuscany with no out-of-bounds, no consistent terrain, and with a ball that could break your hand.
That’s the spirit of Palla Eh!
- Teams: 3 to 5 players per side.
- The Ball: Handmade leather, stuffed with wool—about the size of a tennis ball but heavier and harder. Oh and the racket is your hand! Gloves are essential.
- The Rules: Loosely follow tennis-style scoring (15–30–40–game), with matches played in sets to 21 points. The game is actually also called Palla 21 in reference to the scoring system. The ball is hit back and forth between the two teams and can be hit back again if it doesn’t bounce more than once, again similar to the rules of tennis. Service starts from the same side throughout the game, so the teams swap sides and service is called Mando.
- The Court: The main road. Obstacles are not removed—they’re embraced. Cars, people and buildings all add to the fun of where the ball will land!
Local knowledge is king. And yes, balls do bounce off rooftops! This isn’t about polished technique—it’s about gut instinct and knowing your local geography. No two games are the same, and no two players play it the same way. Which makes watching it half the fun—and sometimes, pure chaos.
Palla Eh: an ancient game
Palla Eh! is more than a quirky sport—it’s a surviving detail of pre-industrial Italy. Its roots trace back to at least the Middle Ages, likely evolving from the Roman game Pila, a handball-like game enjoyed by both soldiers and citizens in ancient Rome which involved striking a ball with the hand. The game also possibly shares lineage with the medieval handball traditions of France and Spain, as it’s similar to France’s jeu de paume or Spain’s Basque pelota—games that were once played across Europe before modern courts and rackets changed everything.
While most of those games evolved, were formalised, and moved indoors with rackets, Palla Eh! continued unchanged, wild and free outside. It was passed down generation to generation, unrecorded and continues to be played in the streets by everyone from children to adults from a variety of backgrounds. Pall Eh! is not an exclusive game like so many modern sports can be now, somewhat inaccessible unless you have the means to participate or buy tickets to be a spectator. This sport is for everyone and in that way, it’s not just a game. It’s part of life here in Maremma.
Palla Eh: why you should see it and where to find it
Head to Vetulonia, Tirli, Ciciano, Scalvaia, or other tucked-away Tuscan villages in the heat of summer, and you might catch a match in full swing. Currently the game is played in around six villages in Maremma. These aren’t just scenic towns—they’re Etruscan-rooted, layered in millennia of history and fiercely proud of their traditions.
For centuries, these towns were geographically isolated—perched on hills, nestled in forests, accessible only by winding rural roads. That isolation helped preserve not only language quirks and food customs, but also community games like Palla Eh!, which elsewhere may have vanished.
In Vetulonia, once an Etruscan city of legend, Palla Eh! It is usually played the Sunday before the infamous annual Palio dei Ciuchi—a fun festival featuring mule races through the stone streets. Landing on the last weekend of August in the midst of the Tuscan summer sun.It’s a celebration of local pride, food, music, and of course, this unmissable street game.
These Etruscan-descended villages have long traditions of celebrating festivals tied to the seasons. Palla Eh! is often played during these feasts—when people are home, when the town is full, energy runs high.
The game becomes part of the celebration, like music, wine, and dancing. This is when you’ll find a game of Palla Eh, during the celebrations on the streets watched by the residents of the village and visitors alike. There is a limited bus service to these towns from Grosseto but the best way to explore and access these areas is by car, you can rent cars directly from the airport on your arrival or in the local town of Grosseto too.
Keeping Traditions Alive
What makes Palla Eh! so unforgettable isn’t just the game—it’s the atmosphere around it. There’s no commercial gloss here. True to its roots the game is a little dangerous and totally brilliant.
Unlike many dying traditions, Palla Eh! is fighting to stay alive. Local associations are documenting it, promoting tournaments, and pushing for national recognition as a piece of Italy’s cultural heritage.
In a world speeding toward sameness, this is something wild and real—a reminder that culture doesn’t have to sit quietly or disappear into history. Sometimes, it runs through the street yelling “Eh!” and dares you to chase it. Children here grow up hearing the “Eh!” shouted from below, wrapping their hands like their grandparents did, learning the angles of the buildings like second nature. This is a heritage you can hear and feel.
Come for the game, stay for the locals
So if you find yourself exploring Tuscany beyond the usual wine trails and Renaissance postcards, carve out time for the Maremma. Wander into one of these hillside villages. Ask around. Follow the sound of a crowd gathering near the piazza.
And when you hear that shout—“Eh!”—don’t run.
Grab a seat on a stone wall, sip something local, and watch some Italian history unfold.