THE MUNICIPAL plaza of the charming ‘Villa de Cáñar’ – yesterday attracted a film crew from Andaucia’s public broadcaster, Canal Sur, which was interested in the ancient game of ‘pelota’ (ball), where people thwack said item against the church wall. Pelota in Cáñar is a tradition that comes from the Basque Country and is one of the region’s rarest traditions, passed down generation to generation.
Where did it come from?
A legacy of the Reconquista, this version of pelota in Cáñar was brought to the Alpujarras by Christian settlers from the north – many from the Basque Country – who repopulated the area after the final expulsion of the Moors in the late 16th century. While ‘pelota vasca‘ has evolved into a formalised sport = with courts and leagues – in its northern heartland, in Cáñar it is an informal game. Pelota in Cáñar involves local youths gathering to hit the ball against the south-facing side of the Iglesia de Santa Ana (village church) with their bare hands. If you miss the ball, you’ve lost the round!
The Iglesia de Santa Ana is interesting in its own right. It was built on the site of a former mosque and completed in the early 17th century. Constructed in the Mudejar style, with thick whitewashed walls and visible from many viewpoints, the church shares its name with the recently finished ‘Fiestas de Santa Ana’ (24-26 July).
Photos of pelota i Cáñar: J. Chip
People grew up with it
During the Canal Sur interviews, old residents recollected how they grew up with pelota in Cáñar game, which has been passed down through the generations. Today’s game is fast and competitive, with physically fit, young players using the palm of the hand to strike the ball against the church wall. “It will hurt their bare hands!”, said one commentator on TikTok.
The players’ hands seem to have survived pelotain Cáñar perfectly well! The game is also practised in Gádor, a town in Almería province, keeping the old custom alive. However, the Gádor version is an indoor sport.
South of Granada has its own version of Canal Sur filming the pelota in Cáñar on TikTok