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The Toy Museum of Catalonia

Grand Jeu de l'Oie (Great game of the goose)

This board was produced in 1890 in France, the country where the Grand Jeu de l'Oie is still very popular. Photo by MJC. The Toy Museum of Catalonia. Figueres.

 

This board was produced in 1890 in France, the country where the Grand Jeu de l'Oie is still very popular. Photo by MJC. The Toy Museum of Catalonia. Figueres.

 

In the game of the goose the winner is the one who covers the sixty-three squares on the board first. The luck of the dice dictates the fortune of the player. For this reason, some people compare the game to the adventure of life.

The origin of this game is uncertain although, based on the games played in the Middle East and Asia, it is thought to have been created in Italy around 1580. Soon after its invention, the Duke of Tuscany, Francesco I de Medici, offered it to Phillip II of Spain. Different versions of the game were printed or registered in London and Lyon in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

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