Italian Championship of Road Bowling Pairs

A tradition that runs on asphalt

The Italian Championship of Road Bowling Pairs is one of the most cherished events in the sporting calendar of Terre Roveresche, a municipality in the Province of Pesaro-Urbino, in the Marche region. Road bowling, also called 'boccia alla lunga', is a traditional sport played outdoors along country roads: players throw and roll their own ball, trying to get as close as possible to the target ball ('pallino'). It is a practice rooted in the peasant culture of the Marche and Romagna hinterland, today protected and organized by FIGeST (Italian Federation of Traditional Games and Sports), recognized by CONI.

Roads become arenas

The event takes place between the hamlet of Spicello di Terre Roveresche, along Strada Vencareto, and the nearby municipality of Monteporzio, on Strada Provinciale 102. For an entire May weekend, the roads are closed to traffic and transformed into racecourses: an unusual and fascinating sight, with hundreds of athletes, families, and fans animating the streets of the small villages.

All generations on the field

The championship brings together over 260 athletes from regions where this sport is most popular, particularly Marche, Umbria, and Emilia-Romagna. The competitions are divided into numerous categories: seeded pairs and unseeded pairs, veterans, under 18s, under 14s, 'pulcini' (youngest category), and a significant female participation. The growth of the women's movement is precisely one of the distinctive features of recent editions, a sign of a discipline that knows how to renew itself while remaining true to its roots.

Sport, community, and territory

The organization is managed by ASD Sangiorgese di Terre Roveresche, with the patronage of the Regional Council of Marche, the Province of Pesaro-Urbino, and the Municipalities of Terre Roveresche and Monteporzio. The opening ceremony traditionally takes place at the San Giorgio di Pesaro town hall, while the awards ceremony concludes the event in the hamlet of Spicello. More than just a competition, the championship is a village festival: an opportunity to rediscover a game passed down through generations and to experience the authentic conviviality of the villages of Terre Roveresche.