The mystery of the 200 game boards that are hidden in the streets of Santiago de Compostela


  • They date from the 17th century and are located on the bench of Praza do Obradoiro, on the façade of the San Francisco convent, on the balcony of the Casa do Cabildo, on the steps of the Hostal dos Reis Católicos... but they go unnoticed by the population

  • "They are the best reflection of the great inequality that existed in Baroque Galician society," underlines Luis Leclere, president of A Rula, the group that has been in charge of mapping these vestiges

Alicia has it very clear: any space is good to play. She is barely three years old and, despite the fact that her words still come out broken, she knows perfectly well what she is doing at all times. Although that, sometimes, supposes the occasional scolding from her parents. They are afraid of getting hurt: in Santiago de Compostela, there are quite a few unevennesses and erosions on the ground. But even these serve the little girl to develop her hobbies. In fact, it is not strange to see it touching some of the grooves that are hidden in the stone. At that moment, the most normal thing is that she gets some scream & mldr; but, almost unintentionally, she has found the key to these vestiges. Is about baroque boards which, in the 17th and 18th centuries, were created for the enjoyment of the residents. Today, instead, they go completely unnoticed.

“They were used to play 'pai fillo nai', also known as three in a row. It was very popular and there were so many fans among the neighbors that championships were often organized & rdquor;

They are on the bench square do Obradoiro, on the façade of the convent of San Francisco, on the balcony of the Casa do Cabildo, in the crossroads of Castrón Douro, on the steps of the Hostal dos Reis Católicos… They have been there for more than three centuries. Rock carvings. Imperishable. Available to anyone. However, very few are those who know them. So what there are more than 200 identified in the old town From the capital. They were used to play pai fillo naialso know as three in a row. It was very popular and there was so much love among the neighbors that championships were often organized & rdquor ;, explains Luis Leclere, president of A Rula, the group that has been in charge of map and study these Galician boards.

Thus, in one fell swoop, they found 167. A figure that, since 2018, has been increasing little by little: “All of them have a similar design: nine holes organized in groups of three that, in certain cases, appear joined by different ditches. They were very simple structures & rdquor ;.

Unlike their medieval counterparts, the Baroque are located in public spaces. Something that is not accidental: although the city of A Coruña was experiencing a moment of economic and social splendor when they were created, the reality is that said brilliance was rather superficial. At the same time as the streets they were decorated and filled with services, a good part of the population suffered serious financial problems, which led them to spend most of the day away from home. “When there were pilgrimages and local festivals, they traced these cracks to challenge each other and hang out. On the contrary, those that appear in the entrances of the monastic temples reveal the aforementioned deficiencies: the inhabitants lined up to ask for alms. But, since there used to be so many people and the wait could be quite long, they made these games & rdquor ;, adds Leclere. The best examples are hidden in the atriums of La Mercé or San Lourenzo.

Likewise, specimens have been located at the exits of the churches of San Miguel do Campo or Santo Agostiño, which shows that they also requested such aid to those who left mass: "They are the best reflection of the great inequality that existed in the baroque Compostela society & rdquor ;. Now, despite the fact that it was a common and widespread practice, there are areas that have a greater number of boards. For example, in San Martiño Pinario almost 50 models have been discovered. And in Santa Clara, 20. On the other hand, in the Royal Hospital hardly one is appreciated. "This raises an important fact: the permissiveness of some institutions against others & rdquor ;, emphasizes this expert. "It seems that the crown did not see well that they were recorded”.

circumvent sanctions

The petrification process that the city experienced in the middle of the Baroque has meant that these 200 brands have survived the passage of time. However, many have been lost due to the work of rehabilitation, cleaning and restoration of the pavement, as has already happened in almost all of the Belvís convent or the chapel da Pastoriza. Even so, there are those who maintain the hope of conquering new relics. “More can always appear because, on some occasions, the erosion of the granite itself makes them not visible. That is why light is so important: the best time to recognize them is at sunset & rdquor ;, he maintains Daniel Lucas Teijeiropredoctoral teacher-researcher of the History of Art, Architecture and Urban Planning Group at the University of Santiago de Compostela.

According to the municipal ordinances of 1687, the neighbors not only carved them in the rock, but also in the earth or in other perishable elements such as wood.

In any case, it must be borne in mind that the mere fact of their existence is not a sufficient reason for them to be so special. There is something else behind. "The existence of board game boards engraved on slabs and slabs since Prehistory in different parts of the world, especially in Asia and the eastern Mediterranean, is documented," he highlights. Miguel Tain, Professor of Art History at the University of Santiago de Compostela. "Many seem destined for the popular three in a row, but there are also some dedicated to unidentified challenges & rdquor ;. So, why are those from Galicia so particular? On the one hand, because it belongs to the Baroque period; and, on the other hand, by the enormous number of copies that appear distributed throughout the city.

So much so that there is no similar scenario in Spain. It is true that the theater of Mérida and the amphitheater of Seville contain some Roman models and that the Cathedral of Ourense houses different medieval engravings. However, the accumulation of taboleiros baroque in the streets picheleiras it is practically unique. In addition, as can be deduced from the municipal ordinances of 1687, everything seems to indicate that the neighbors they not only carved them in the rock, but also on the ground or in other perishable elements such as wood to avoid possible sanctions. "All kinds of games are prohibited on holidays before 12 o'clock because, until then, the masses are not said, but also that servants, students and workers practice them during the week," the regulations stated. So, with great probability, their number would be higher.

Taboleiros de Xogo Compostelanos... Small Escolma de urxencia... We are located at the entrances of various temples of the city....

Posted by Collective A Rula on Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Disappear in the Enlightenment

Outside of Spain, similar traces have been found in various English cathedrals. Its purpose was also to play the game known there as Nine Men's Morris (the game of the mill, in Spanish). They can be found in Norwich, Canterbury, Gloucester, Westminster, Chester, Chichester, Ely or St. Alban's. But in no case in the same concentration as in Santiago. A fact that leads one to wonder when they stopped recording. A Rula's investigation points to the Enlightenment: "The Enlightenment ideas meant a revolution in urban management, bringing new ways of managing public spaces, public morals, health and hygiene. At the end of the 18th century, the new rules began to be applied in the city with more or less effectiveness, modifying the habits of coexistence developed until then".

"The survival of these boards is very interesting because they give a testimony, even if it is very blurred, of the most humble layers of society"

In fact, the group has not made any new finds dated after the 18th century: "No boards have been located in buildings of the XIX [...]. Perhaps, it was still playing in other existing ones or in other perishables, but everything points to the fact that they stopped being recorded at the beginning of this century".

Even so, the residue left by this tradition in Galician society has marked its evolution to the present day. "The game in the street has been very popular in our culture until a few years ago, when it was still common to see people entertain themselves with cards on public roads or with other distractions such as the key or petanque & rdquor ;, says Miguel Ángel Cajigal , art historian, professor and cultural promoter known, in social networks, as the baroque. “The survival of these boards is very interesting because they give a testimony, even if it is very blurred, of the lower layers of societywhich are those that have not normally left monumental or documentary remains and that, therefore, are hardly mentioned throughout history & rdquor ;.

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