A century-old game: Asturian Bowling
Walker Müge Ayma
by Müge Ayma
Spain · Culture
Origin
19th century rural Asturias
Called
Bolos (Bolo Palma)
Difference
Pins stand on dirt, not polished lane
Where
Village squares, Cantabria
When
Weekends, local fiestas
It is a traditional street game played in the Asturian Region of Spain. Also called Los Bolos. For the game, an area of 20 meters is allocated from one end to the other on the street. 9 pins, mostly wooden, are arranged in a square at one end of the field. The person standing at the other end throws a small ball into the pins, earning points based on the number of pins dropped and where the ball lands.
The earliest mentions of the game date back to the records of Alonso de Quintanilla, a politician who served during the Spanish Empire, in 1495. In the records, this game is described, it is written that during the game one of the players destroyed the other’s coat of arms.
In 2003, the Asturias Bowling Museum was opened to visitors by the Peñamellera Baja Municipality to preserve the history and practice of this sport. Asturian Bowling Federation continues to organize matches between teams from different cities in the region.
“It is a traditional street game played in the Asturian Region of Spain. Also called Los Bolos. For the game, an area of 20 meters is allocated from one end to the other on the street.”
Müge Ayma
