PÉTANQUE
France|June 2020
Helen Parkinson is bowled over by the worldwide appeal of this quintessentially Provençal pastime
Helen Parkinson
PÉTANQUE

Like swathes of lavender fields and refreshing glasses of misty pastis, pétanque is a Provençal institution. Yet its roots are Greek; in ancient times, simple coin-tossing games in Greece progressed into competitions to see who could throw stone balls the furthest.

The Romans upped the ante by adding a brick target to aim for. It was their soldiers who brought the game to Provence, where it evolved into Jeu Provençal in the 18th century. Played with bronze balls on a court twice the size of a current pétanque court (usually around four by 15 metres), Jeu Provençal sees players taking a short run-up before bowling.

From Jeu Provençal to pétanque

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