By Brady Smith

Bocce is widely considered to be the one of the world's oldest sports. The origins of the game can be traced back to ancient Egypt, hieroglyphics on tomb walls depicted the Egyptians tossing rocks at a target. According to historians, the game evolved from using polished stones to throwing the rounded balls that are used in today's form of bocce.

While the popularity of the game had spread rapidly throughout Europe by the late 1500s, it was Italy that truly adopted bocce as a favorite pastime. Despite several crackdowns by the government and the Catholic Church, who viewed the game as a gateway to gambling, bocce continued to thrive for hundreds of years. The first organized bocce clubs were founded in Italy, and the first known Italian League was formed in 1947 near the town of Torino.

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Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/