After 95 years the morra is removed from the prohibited games.
The game of morra, an ancient tradition rooted in the territory, is no longer a forbidden game in Friuli Venezia Giulia. After 95 years of restrictions, the morra can be played again in public places, with the agreement of the managers. The decree, signed by the police commissioner of Trieste Pietro Ostuni on 7 June, marks a historic step for the local community.
The return of the morra
The police commissioner of Trieste, Pietro Ostuni, explained that, after several consultations with the police commissioners of Udine, Gorizia and Pordenone, it was decided to exclude morra from the table of prohibited games for a year, on an experimental basis, on condition that the game takes place without betting money or other benefits. Ostuni expressed confidence in the availability and goodwill of the players, adding that if during the experimental year no inconveniences will occur, the game of morra will be definitively excluded from the list of prohibited games.
An ancient tradition
The morra, whose origins date back to ancient Rome and traces are even found in ancient Egypt, was banned in Italy in 1929 and included in the list of prohibited games for being considered “gambling and often the cause of arguments and brawls”.
Decline and rebirth
After the ban, the game of morra suffered a decline, but the passion for this tradition has never faded. In the 1980s, with the foundation of the Circolo Friulano della Morra by Isi Benini, Gianni Cogolo and Lino Midolini, the game began to be reborn. The club, based in Udine, has been a bulwark in the preservation of this ancient game.
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