- Calva
:"The term "calva" is also sometimes used to refer to the
Calvaria (skull) "Calva is a traditional sport played in certain parts ofSpain . It has roots going back to pre-Roman times, being developed by theCeltiberians who lived in the modern-day provinces of Ávila, Salamanca, and Zamora. It was a game for shepherds, who threw stones at bull's horns to entertain themselves. With the passing of time, the game was modified: a piece of wood (the "calva") came to be substituted for the horn, and the stone was replaced with a cylinder of iron or steel (the "marro"). The name of "calva" was derived from the field in which the game came to be played, which was free of obstacles and rocks.Today the sport is practised mainly in Castile,
Salamanca , Zamora, andBiscay , although also inMadrid ,Barcelona , andPlasencia .The game
The object is to knock down a piece of wood which is supported on one of its sides. The player, from 14.5 meters, must hit this "calva" with his "marro", a metal cylinder. The player has 25 throws to achieve this, with two practise throws.
The "calva" is generally made of
oak and has the form of an obtuse angle, between 110 and 120 degrees. The lower part, called the "zapata", has a length of 23 cm, while the upper part (the "alzada") is 22 cm long.The "marro" was originally often a rock taken from a creekbed, where it had been worn smooth. Today it is usually an iron cylinder or oval with the name of its owner, weight, length, etc. often inscribed on it. It cannot be greater than 25 cm in length and generally weighs between 2 and 3 kilograms.
The field of play is usually about 25 meters in length and about 5 meters in width. The distance of the throw is standardized at 14.5 meters, leaving about 3-5 meters for an approach area and 6-8 meters to stop the throw.
External links
* [http://www.calvamadrid.com/ Group of Calva clubs in Madrid (Spanish)]
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