Castelverde Trophy (bocce)
The historic regional raffa bocce tournament in the Castelverde district, East Rome
About Castelverde Trophy
A bocce tradition spanning over half a century
Within the popular sporting landscape of the Municipality of Rome, the Castelverde Trophy holds a special place: with its 57th edition held in May 2026, it stands as one of the most deeply rooted raffa bocce competitions in Lazio. It is organized by A.S.D. C.B. Castelverde, a club affiliated with the Italian Bocce Federation (FIB) and active in the Castelverde district, on the eastern outskirts of the capital, along the Via Prenestina corridor towards Lunghezza.
The trophy is not a spectacle in the tourist sense: it is, much more authentically, a community gathering. On competition evenings, the Via Tornimparte bocce hall fills with players, families, and local enthusiasts, in a ritual that has repeated for generations and perfectly illustrates how grassroots sport binds the peripheral districts of the Lazio region together.
Raffa, the Italian bocce discipline
The tournament is played in the raffa specialty (also known as Italian-style lane bocce), one of the three disciplines recognized by the Italian Bocce Federation alongside 'volo' and 'pétanque'. It is played on rectangular lanes—the Castelverde facility features three covered synthetic lanes measuring 26 by 4 meters—and the characteristic technical move is the raffa, a direct shot that hits the opponent's ball without preparatory bounces.
Tournament format
The Castelverde Trophy is classified as a regional pairs tournament and is open to categories A, B, C, and D, meaning all levels of registration are welcome. This openness makes it a highly inclusive event where a category C player might find themselves facing top-tier teams. Pairs are divided into qualifying groups by category, and group winners advance to the final knockout bracket.
- Specialty: raffa
- Format: pairs, 32-team final bracket
- Eligible categories: A, B, C, D
- Level: regional tournament (Lazio Regional Committee, Rome delegation)
A tournament spread across the territory
One organizational detail is worth noting: to manage the high number of entries, the qualifying rounds are not all played in Castelverde. The qualifying evenings are decentralized across multiple bocce halls in the Rome metropolitan area—including facilities in Guidonia Montecelio and Tivoli—while the final phase returns to the home venue on Via Tornimparte. It is a traveling format that involves the entire bocce network of the Province of Rome, allowing matches to be played in the evening, starting at 7:00 PM, to accommodate the participants' work schedules.
How it fits into the Lazio season
The trophy takes place in the heart of the spring season of the Lazio Federbocce calendar, among the numerous regional competitions that animate Rome's bocce halls from March to June. For clubs in the eastern part of Rome, it is one of the key annual events, often paired with other memorials and minor trophies.
For spectators
Access to the competition days is free and open to the public. It is an opportunity for those unfamiliar with the discipline to discover a technical and silent sport up close, defined by centimeter-perfect measurements and a level of concentration that surprises those expecting a simple pastime. The club's bar remains open during the competition evenings.
Castelverde Trophy — edition 2026
The 2026 tournament
The 57th edition of the Castelverde Trophy was included in the Lazio regional Federbocce calendar as a regional pairs tournament, raffa specialty, categories A-B-C-D, with a 32-team final bracket. 48 pairs from all over Lazio and beyond registered, divided into 10 category A teams, 14 category B, and 24 category C.
To manage this turnout, the organizing club distributed the qualifying groups over several evenings and venues: Monday, May 11, Tuesday, May 12, and Wednesday, May 13, always starting at 7:00 PM, matches were played in Rome, Guidonia Montecelio, and Tivoli. The final phase then returned to the home bocce hall on Via Tornimparte on Friday, May 15, 2026.
The verdict
Victory went to the pair formed by Gianluca Bianchi and Sandro Savo, category A, from A.S.D. C.B. Czestochowa. Behind them were Giuseppe Michele Zollino and Gabriele Artegiani (category C, C.B. Czestochowa), followed by Marco Pizzicannella and Lorenzo Fedele (category B, A.S.D. Circolo Bocciofilo Sandro De Sanctis), Giancarlo Maialetti and Paolo Mancini (category C, Villanova), and Giuseppe Aurigemma with Aldo D'amore (category A, A.S.D. Ass. Bocc. Leonardo da Vinci).
Among the most represented clubs in the groups, besides Czestochowa, were A.S.D. Villa Adriana, Bocciofila Valle del Sacco - Colleferro, Circolo Bocciofilo La Sorgente, Associazione Bocciofila Boville, and Leonardo da Vinci: a picture that well reflects the bocce geography of the Province of Rome.
Programme Castelverde Trophy 2026
Competition Calendar — 57th edition
- Monday, May 11, 2026, 7:00 PM — qualifying groups, Rome and Guidonia Montecelio courts
- Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 7:00 PM — qualifying groups, Tivoli and Rome courts
- Wednesday, May 13, 2026, 7:00 PM — qualifying groups, Rome courts
- Friday, May 15, 2026 — final phases and grand final at A.S.D. C.B. Castelverde, Via Tornimparte 8, Rome (immediately following the semifinals)
Format: regional pairs tournament, raffa specialty, categories A-B-C-D, 32 teams in the bracket. Registered: 48 pairs (10 cat. A, 14 cat. B, 24 cat. C). Tournament director: Fabrizio Fortunati.
Highlights Castelverde Trophy 2026
- 57th edition of one of the longest-running bocce tournaments in Lazio
- 48 pairs registered, categories A, B, C, and D together on the same bracket
- Evening qualifying rounds decentralized between Rome, Guidonia Montecelio, and Tivoli
- Grand final on May 15 at the Via Tornimparte bocce hall
- Victory for Gianluca Bianchi and Sandro Savo (C.B. Czestochowa)
Prices Castelverde Trophy 2026
Practical information — Castelverde Trophy
Venue
A.S.D. C.B. Castelverde Bocce Hall, Via Tornimparte 8, 00132 Rome — Castelverde district, Municipality VI. Covered facility with three synthetic lanes.
How to get there
By car: Exit 14 or 15 of the Grande Raccordo Anulare (GRA), then follow Via Prenestina or Via di Lunghezza towards Castelverde; parking is available in the area.
By public transport: FL2 regional railway (Rome Termini–Tivoli line), get off at Lunghezza station, then take the connecting bus towards Castelverde. Alternatively, use Cotral buses along the Prenestina route.
Contact
Phone: +39 06 22484328 — E-mail: [email protected]. Updated calendar and draws are available on the website of the Italian Bocce Federation, Rome committee.
Tips
Matches are played in the evening: bring a light jacket, as the facility is covered but not heated in the spring. Free admission for spectators.
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Where does it take place — Castelverde Trophy
Bocciodromo A.S.D. C.B. Castelverde
Via Tornimparte 8, 00132 Roma