Although scarcely as popular as in England, billiards is played all over Italy, so far as the large towns are concerned.
In Naples, Milan, Genoa, Venice, and other cities, each restaurant of importance boasts of a table, the billiard room sometimes being crowded with players awaiting their turn. And a few private houses are provided with tables.
Amongst the officers of the garrison towns billiard enthusiasts are to be found. In striking contrast to their men they are attired in an exceedingly smart uniform, and, having no mess billiard-table, they must perforce patronize those to be found at restaurants and cafes, where the tables are, to put it politely, often in a bad state of repair Owing to the "deadness" of their cushions, a "cannon off the cushion" is not always feasible, while the balls are seldom true, being strongly suggestive of the "elliptical billiard balls" in the "Tit-Willow" song. As to the cues, though well weighted, they are outrageously thick at the point.
However, the good-tempered Italian officer makes the best of circumstances, and misses easy shots cheerfully.
If the officer element finds some of the Italian billiard tables "difficult," the private soldier is by no means captious, gladly availing himself of the opportunity to play on the most dilapidated of tables. Parade being finished, he flies to the nearest cafe, there to embark upon a match with a comrade for a half-bottle of chianti, barolo, or some other country wine. Should two noted players arrange to meet, all their friends from the regiment come to look on, many bets being made on the result. Occasionally at a coast town the Italian "Bersagliere" or "Alpino" takes on a British tar. A contest of this nature, however, does not invariably end peacefully, for Jack not infrequently has a supreme contempt for "foreign scum," as he rudely entitles those who are not of English birth. As will be readily understood, a person of this sort is not a particularly pleasant antagonist, while it sometimes happens that the game terminates in a dispute brought about by the sailor's ill-doings. It is also on record that matches of a harmonious nature have taken place.
At Venice there are a number of billiard-tables, many of the cafes lying between the Ponte di Rialto and the Piazza San Marco being thus provided It may be noted that the proprietors of some of these establishments extract from the unwary stranger more than the proper sum for the use of the table, for many ignorant Italians are under the impression that every "God-dam rosbif Inglese" who visits Italy is necessarily wealthy—not to say, rolling in money And they charge accordingly. As a matter of fact, a lire (tenpence) will, in some cafes, enable one to play for as long as half-an-hour.
At the majority of Italian hotels the visitor will not find a billiard-table. These establishments are comfortable, and a really excellent French chef is employed, but they do not possess a billiard-room. This, however, can be well understood, for the man who arrives at an Italian town, if an Englishman, is, usually speaking, on sight-seeing bent, foreigners also coming for the same purpose, or on business.
Besides, the German or Frenchman, being accustomed to Continental ways, does not expect to find a billiard-table amongst the hotel furniture.
In playing the cannon game, the Italian exhibits considerable skill; but confront him with an English table, and he would be hopelessly at sea. When performing upon the native table he indulges in considerable gesticulation and chatter; a continuous "bravo" rends the air; the spectators offer much advice, and should a difficult shot be brought off, many plaudits follow In the event of a favourite player failing to win, his soft-hearted and sympathetic friends are almost ready to weep. Such is the Southern nature.
In conclusion, it may be observed that one of the best cafe billiard-rooms in Italy is to be found at Campari's, in the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele, Milan. There, of an afternoon, many distinguished Milanese disport themselves — making easy shots to the accompaniment of tumultuous applause