The ancient and forbidden game of Morra

The summer festas is the time of year where an extremely old game is sometimes played by men of the area.

The ancient game of Morra - known since Roman times and probably stretches back even to Ancient Greek as well, is a version of the paper - scissors - rock game which can be found all over the world.

Simplicity itself as no objects are needed for the game except a head for numbers and a good memory.

It is a fast and furious game and only the very quick survive. Tempers are raised and blood starts to boil as the game progresses. The game is actually still illegal in Italy after laws were passed in the last century in an attempt to curb the acts of violence between rival players but at festas during the summer you can sometimes hear the raised voices of men playing the game. Download a small (730kb) MP3 file and more images to get a taste of just how fast this game is played here