An Argentine family playing bocce in San Vicente, Buenos Aires, c.1902
Bocce play in Cape Coral, Florida, US in 2007Bocce being 7️⃣ playeda typical bocce set
Bocce ( ,[1][2] or ,[3] Italian: [ˈbɔttʃe]), sometimes anglicized as bocce ball,[4] bocci[5] or boccie,[1] is a 7️⃣ ball sport belonging to the boules family.
Developed into its present form in Italy, it is closely related to British bowls 7️⃣ and French pétanque, with a common ancestry from ancient games played in the Roman Empire.
Bocce is played around western, southern 7️⃣ and southeastern Europe, as well as in overseas areas with historical Italian immigrant population, including Australia, North America, and South 7️⃣ America, principally Argentina and the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.