The game of bowls (“bocce”) has been played ever since the dawn of civilization, with different local varieties. Variants of this game make use of balls of any material, which have to get as close as possible to a sphere called 'jack'.
This game, requiring considerable skill and strategy, was considered a pastime which promoted well-being, but it was also banned because of gambling, and then re-evaluated as gaming and sports activity.
Historical Background
The oldest traces of this game date back to 7000 b.c. Some stone spheres that clearly showed signs of rolling over a rugged terrain were found in the Neolithic settlement of Catal Huyuk (Turkey). In Egypt similar, but more finely crafted, objects were found in a child's grave dated 3500 a.C.
Bowls were also popular among Greeks and Romans. One of the first to mention the game was Hippocrates (460-377 b.c.), father of medicine, who noted that it was good for health. Romans were the first to use wooden balls instead of stone. Bowls were Ovid’s (the famous Roman poet, 43 BC – 17 AD) favorite pastime during his exile on the Black Sea; they were also played by Emperor Augustus (who used bowls of olive root), Pontius Pilate and Claudius Galen who, like Hippocrates, found it to be beneficial both to young and old people. Roman legions used to play the game in Gaul and in Britain where it became exceptionally popular. The modern version of bowling can be played with different rules, tools and fields.
Game communities
Barandello, Argenta (Ferrara), Emilia Romagna
Libero, Montoggio (Genova), Liguria
Trucco da Terra, Rialto (Savona), Liguria
Venga l'Ost, Sasso Corvaro (Pesaro e Urbino), Marche
Totara, S.Fiora (Grosseto), Toscana
Rouotta, Lillianes (Aosta), Valle d'Aosta
Borella, Casale sul Sile (Belluno), Veneto
Senturel, San Zeno di Montagna (Verona), Veneto