The birth of pétanque
Spectators were allowed for 0.05 Franc to take chairs to watch the games of the Jeu de Boules Béraud, but as they often stopped the balls being shot because they did not get up quickly enough, the players demanded the removal of the chairs.
Jules Le Noir, a local shopkeeper, plagued by rheumatism, was allowed to have a chair as long as he stayed within a circle drawn on the ground. Sitting down, Jules Le Noir had fun shooting at 1,50 meter or 2 meters. One day, to please him, Monsieur Pitiot suggested that he play a game of “pieds tanqués” which meant feet stuck to the ground. This is how the game “les pieds tanqués” became “la pétanque”.
