History of Bocce

Editors note: There seems to be numerous versions, each slightly different. The following are two versions I recently came across. If you have others, please pass them on. The first is provided by the Overbrook Club in Pennsylvania, PA and was written by Louis Soncini.

Bocce is an ancient game, its birth lost in the shadows of antiquity. Some authorities claim it originated in Egypt about 5200 B.C.; others, that the game was started in Greece during the 6th Century B.C. The most reliable sources agree that Bocce, as we know it today, was played between battles during Rome's Punic Wars against Carthage, which started in 264 B.C. Soldiers selected a small stone called a "leader" and threw it first. Then larger stones would be thrown at the "leader" and the stone coming closest to it would score. The game provided exercise and relaxation for the soldiers. Teams were composed of two, four, six, or eight men and the score would vary from 16 to 24 points per game.

The game continued to be played until 1319 when Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV ordered its discontinuance as he thought that, because of its popularity, it would interfere with sports of a more military nature.

Years later the prohibition was lifted when the Medical Faculty at Montepelier, France, declared that Bocce was the best exercise to prevent rheumatism.

An interesting historical note on Bocce claims that the English Admiral, Sir Francis Drake, was informed of the approaching Spanish Armada while playing a game of Bocce. Drake, in his usual cool manner, replied: "First, we finish the game; then we have time for the Invincible Armada."

Bocce was played throughout Europe. Emperors, Admirals, Generals, poets, sculptors, scientists and men from all stations of life were active participants in the sport. It was a favorite with Giuseppe Garibaldi.

Throughout history innumerable Bocce games have been played in the streets, alleys, squares and country greens of every European country and in North and South America. Lovers of Bocce will play wherever there is adequate space available. Pennsylvanians are fortunate in their Bocce facilities. In Philadelphia alone there are 17 Bocce Clubs. There are many other clubs throughout the state.

The second, shorter more lighthearted account comes from Michael Kilian of the Chicago Tribune.

Some historians claim bocce dates back 7,000 years. The Egyptians played it when they weren't struggling with pyramid stones, and the Romans picked it up from them (I don't think Cleopatra did, however, as it's not a game you can play in bed).

The barbarians within the Roman Empire took a liking to it – the Gauls producing a French version called "boule." The English, who never quite got the hang of things, turned it into the tacky pastime you see on television's "Championship Bowling."

Unlike "Championship Bowling," bocce is not a game of roll, slam, crash, rack and have another brewski. It's a true sport involving skill, fitness, strategy and cunning.

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