History of Bocce

History of Bocce. . Throwing balls toward a fixed target is the oldest game known to humankind, dating centuries old. The first record of a Bocce game was found as early as 5200 B.C. in a painting located in an Egyptian tomb showing images of figures tossing a ball or polished stone. By 800 B.C. the game made its way to Greece. From there the Romans learned the game and introduced it to what is now modern Italy. European immigrants are responsible for spreading the game of Bocce around the globe. The name has many different spellings, including boccia, boccie, bocci and comes from the latin word bottia., Here in Burke County the Waldensian men brought the love of the sport with them when coming to Valdese in 1893, often playing on packed dirt courts. The game is played on a variety of surfaces from grass, dirt, sand, clay, artificial turf or more traditional surfaces of limestone dust or crushed oyster shells., Today the sport is kept alive by the Valdese citizens playing for pleasure and competition on many courts located around the community. It is a great game of thought and strategy that brings families and friends of all ages together.