Ile St Louis, le jeu de Paume(english)
LE JEU DE PAUME
It is a ball game and it is a very old French game. Literally it means “game of palm” (of the hand). At the beginning, the players played bare hands (only with the palm) later gloves replaced bare hands, and finally racquets were used but the name remained.
This game dates back to the Middle-Ages and it was a very popular game, played by everyone, including the kings of France. François 1st, Henry 2nd, Henri 4th and Louis 13th were very fond of the game and very good players.
The game was first an outdoor game then special buildings were built. They were 30 metre long on 10 metre wide. Two or more players were situated on both side of a net and play the ball kicking it by using the side walls. Along the wall was situated a covered gallery protected by a net where the spectators watched the game. The ball was first in fabric, later in leather.
At the end of the 16th c, there are more than 200 courts at Paris. Molière, Corneille, Lulli used the courts for representation of opera and theatre. At the eve of the revolution only a dozen survive because the game declines. In 1861, the only remaining court was destroyed to build the Opera house. But one year later, Napoleon 3rd ordered the construction of a new court in the Tuileries garden, this building will be converted in a museum and hosts now exhibitions.
In the 19th c the game emigrated in England and was inspiration for squash and tennis games. Before servicing the player was saying “tenez messire” to inform the other player that became “tenetz” and then tennis.
Today in the Ile Saint Louis the memory remains thanks to the hotel called “hotel du jeu de paume”.