PINEROLO  [PIGNEROLI, a

city and episcopal see of Piedmont, Italy, in the province of Turin . Pop . (1901), 12,608 (town); 18,039 (commune) . It is built on a hill-side just above the valleys of the Chisone and the Lemina, at a height of 1234 ft. above the sea, 24 M. by rail S.W. of Turin . The railway goes on to Torre Pellice; and steam tramways run from Pinerolo to Perosa, and to Cavour and Saluzzo . Till 1696 it was strongly fortified with a citadel on Santa Brigida, a castle on S . Maurizio, and city walls constructed by Thomas I. of Savoy . It has a cathedral (St Donatus), the palace of the princes of Acaia and other buildings of some interest . Cotton, silk, wool and hemp are among the local manufactures . Pinerolo was bestowed on the bishops of Turin by Otto III. in 996; but in 1078 the countess Adelaide made it over to the Benedictine abbey of Santa Maria, in whose possession it remained till 1159 . Thomas I. of Savoy captured the castle in 1188, and in 1246 the commune formally recognized the supremacy of Savoy . Passing in 1295 into the hands of Philip, son of Thomas III., Pinerolo became his residence and capital, a distinction which it retained under Amadeus VIII. of Savoy .

Francis I. of France obtained possession of the town in his descent into Italy, but Emmanuel Philibert received it back from Henry III. in 1574 . A second occupation by the French occurred under Cardinal Richelieu; the French language was imposed on the people, great fortifications were constructed, and the fortress (Pignerol) was used as a state prison for such men as Fouquet, De Caumont and the Man with the Iron Mask (see IRON MASK) . Victor Amadeus bombarded the place in 1693, and ultimately compelled Louis XIV. to relinquish his hold on it; but before the withdrawal of the French troops the defences were demolished . In 1748 the town was made a bishop's see . PIN-EYED, a botanical term for flowers which occur in two forms, one of which shows the stigma at the mouth of the corolla. as in the primrose; the term is contrasted with thrum-eyed . PING-PONG, or TABLE-TENNIS, a miniature variety of lawn-tennis played on a table, which may be of any size not less than 51 ft. long by 3 ft. broad . Various attempts were made to adapt lawn-tennis to the house, but the real popularity of the game began when, near the close of the loth century, celluloid balls were introduced, and the game was called ping-pong from the sound of the balls as they were struck by the racket or rebounded from the table . In 1900 the ball was improved and made heavier, and for the next two years ping-pong enjoyed a popularity never before attained by a game in so short a time, not only in Great Britain but in France, the British Colonies and America . Two leagues were formed, the " Table-Tennis Association " and the " Ping-Pong Association," whose laws were practically identical . The regular tournament table is 9 ft. long by 5 ft. broad, and the net is a little less than 7 in. high . The balls, which are of hollow celluloid, are about 4 in. in diameter . The racket has a blade, shaped like a lawn-tennis racket, about 6 in. long and a handle long enough to grasp comfortably, all in one piece .

Rackets are made either wholly of

wood covered with vellum, cork, sand-paper or rubber, or of light frames covered with vellum or some other material . The table was at first marked out in courts, but is now plain . It should be unpolished and stained . In serving, a player must stand directly behind his end of the table and use an underhand motion only . The ball must clear the net and strike the table anywhere on the other side . The game is then continued until the ball misses the table or fails to pass over the net . Only one service is allowed, except in case of a let . The scoring is the same as in lawn-tennis . See Ping-Pong, by Arnold Parker (London, 1902) ; Table Tennis, by A . Sinclair (London, 1902) .