The Scanno Racquet 1555

The earliest comprehensive and authoritative treatise devoted entirely to ball games is Trattato del giuoco della palla, written by Antonio Scaino da Salò and published in Venice in 1555 by the press of Gabriel Giolito de’ Ferrari e Fratelli. Scaino, an Italian cleric and Doctor of Theology, was associated with the court of Alfonso II d’Este, Duke of Ferrara, where humanist learning and physical education formed part of elite culture.

Scanio’s treatise systematizes contemporary ball games practiced in Italy during the mid sixteenth century. It distinguishes between games played with the bare hand, with the hand protected by bandaging or gloves, and with specialized striking implements that represent early forms of the racquet. The work provides detailed descriptions of rules, playing techniques, spatial requirements, and appropriate conduct, reflecting both practical knowledge and the humanist ideal of regulated physical exercise.