Tombola! (Bingo!)

This is something I promised to vintagepix, who is an "altered cards" artist.

The origin of this game is related to the Kabbalah. Pico della Mirandola, an Italian Renassaince philosopher known for his amazing memory, was introduced to the study of the Kabbalah, which fascinated him.

These studies became known by the common people, and they started to give them their own interpretation. The dreams or the everyday events, as a tempest or just to strip and fell down, became a sort of kabbalah, associated to a number and in this is the way the game of "lotto"(lottery) was born. Of course it was not legal!

In 1734, the king of Naples decided to legalize the game, afraid that ilegal as it was, the Treasure of the realm lose gains. Of course, the Church desagree with the legalization, and the King was forced to make an agreement: during Christmas, will be forbidden to bet, which will allow people to have the time to go to the Church and pray.

But people from Naples, are known for the resources they have to avoid restrictions!

While waiting for Christmas Eve, they started to put the 90 numbers into a small basket, and to write the numbers on a piece of cardboard. Later, every number was associated to a fact or a name, some are almost scurrilous!.

It was born the "Tombola", whose name means something like "cilinder" the form of the wood pieces where the numbers are printed.

Well, hope it's clear!