Frontones

Frontones is the plural of frontón, a term with two main meanings in Spanish-speaking contexts.

In architecture, a frontón refers to a pediment or triangular gable that surmounts a facade or entry. This feature, often richly sculpted, serves both a decorative and a structural role in classical and neoclassical repertoires. In English-language architectural discourse, the equivalent term is pediment, but frontón is used in Spanish and related languages to describe this specific element, especially in Iberian and Latin American architecture.

In sport, a frontón is a court used for Basque pelota and jai alai. The defining element is a prominent front wall against which players strike the ball, with side and rear walls shaping the play area. Frontones can be indoor (frontón cubierto) or outdoor (frontón al aire libre) and vary in size and construction, ranging from modern reinforced concrete to traditional plastered surfaces. The games are played with hands or with implements such as cesta punta, depending on the variation, and the sport has deep cultural roots in the Basque Country and in several Spanish-speaking regions of Europe and the Americas.

The term frontón thus denotes two distinct objects: an architectural pediment that crowns a facade, and a participation space for Basque pelota sports. The plural frontones can refer to multiple examples in either sense.