Dante Alighieri's Sports In The Middle Ages

Sports in the Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, sports had a very large following. It was a form of entertainment that was a wonder to everybody and they all enjoyed watching their greatest athletes compete to see who was the best. Some of the major sports were wrestling and racing. Sports could be used to gain fame and fortune which can become very negative. Dante refers to both wrestling and foot races in his book “ Dante’s Inferno”, a book about Dante Alighieri’s version of hell.

A very big sport in the thirteenth century was wrestling. Wrestling grew in the middle ages because of the ruler of Persia began hiring turkish mercenaries. The soldiers then brought with them a style of fighting called Koresh. This is where grips would be taken

There is a race called the Palio Del Droppo. It is named after what you would win at the end. The word Palio comes from the Latin word “Pallium” which means “rectangle piece of cloth”. If you won you would get a green cloth. But if you came in last you wouldn’t go home empty handed, you would receive a rooster. This race was mentioned in Dante’s Inferno. The race wasn’t that popular but it was a big thing in the community that Dante grew up in. The race was started in 1207 to celebrate the City Republic of Verona’s victory over the Counts of San Bonafazio and the Montecchi family. The race would start in the Tomba Neighborhood and would later finish in the Saint Anastasia Square. There would be a message at the end that would say “Corso La Meta” which means “You have reached the end”. In the book Dante recognized his former mentor Brunetto Latini. They begin to talk and then Brunetto sees a smoke rising from the sands and he runs away. Dante then compares Brunetto’s speed to the runners in the Verona race during Lent. In the book it says “Seeming to me like one of those who run competing for the green cloth in the races upon Verona’s field--and of them, like one who gains the victory, not one who loses.” (Dante 125). I believe Dante makes this comparison to prove a point using an exaggeration, that Brunetto was so scared he was running like a professional runner. But foot races weren’t the only thing

There were multiple forms of horse racing. A major type of horse racing was attaching a chariot to the horses where the driver would stand and would race. It was very dangerous and there were many fatal injuries, athletes still loved the thrill and money that came along with it. Another form of horse racing that was very popular was bareback racing. This is basically where the rider wouldn’t use a saddle, they would just mount the horse with nothing on it and race. The Spring carnival in Rome was traditionally ended with a bareback horse race. The show consisted of fifteen to twenty horses without riders that would run the length of the Via del Corse in the historical heart of Rome. England on the other hand is a whole different story. The main reason why people would race horses were to show off the potential speed of the horse to a prospective buyer. The first known racing reward can be noted during the reign of Richard the Lionheart, at the end of the 12th century. The prize offered by Richard was worth £40. The riders were knights and the race extended over almost 5 kilometers long. Since the racers would win an immense amount of money I think they would be in the 3rd circle of hell in Dante’s inferno. I believe this because they would become lazy and become glutton after their careers. In canto 15 the quote “Which among his companions had enjoyed most eminence and fame in life?...To name them all would demand