The Marseilles revealed: The history of trump cards in Lombardy

Tarot cards are believed to have originated in Northern Italy in the 15th century as a type of playing cards used for gaming. The earliest known surviving Tarot cards are the Visconti-Sforza Tarot decks, which were created in the 1440s for the rulers of Milan.

Over time, the use of Tarot cards expanded beyond gaming to include divination and fortune-telling. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, various esoteric societies, such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, began to associate Tarot cards with mystical and occult knowledge.

The exact origins of the Tarot cards and their symbolism remain a subject of debate among scholars. Some argue that the Tarot cards are based on ancient Egyptian or Kabbalistic teachings, while others maintain that they are an original creation of Italian culture.

Despite these uncertainties, Tarot cards have become an important part of Western esotericism, and their use in divination continues to be popular today.

Tarocchi

The earliest known woodblock printed Tarot is the "Mantegna Tarocchi," which was created in the mid-15th century in northern Italy. The Mantegna Tarocchi consists of 50 cards that are divided into five suits, each featuring 10 cards. The suits are based on classical elements and include Swords (Air), Cups (Water), Coins (Earth), Clubs (Fire), and Staves (Spirit).

The Mantegna Tarocchi cards are notable for their intricate woodcut illustrations, which depict scenes from classical mythology and allegorical representations of virtues and vices. Each card features a caption in Latin, which further explains the symbolism of the image.

The history of the Mantegna Tarocchi is not well documented, but it is believed that the cards were created for the Gonzaga family of Mantua, who were known for their patronage of the arts. The cards were likely used for gaming and entertainment, rather than for divination.

Duke of Milan

Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan, was known for his extravagant lifestyle, which included a love of gambling. He was reputed to be an avid gambler and is said to have lost significant sums of money at the gaming tables.

According to some historical accounts, Duke Sforza was particularly fond of playing a card game called "triumph" (trionfi),  which was a forerunner of Tarot. Triumph was a popular game among the Italian aristocracy in the 15th century, and it involved bidding on trump cards that were more powerful than the other cards in the deck.

It is not clear whether Duke Sforza played Tarot specifically, as the earliest known Tarot decks were not produced until after his death in 1476. However, it is possible that he played an early form of Tarot or a similar game that used trump cards.

Duke Sforza's love of gambling was not without consequences. He was known for his cruelty and was eventually assassinated by a group of conspirators in 1476. The conspirators included some of his own courtiers who were reportedly angry at his extravagant spending and his use of torture to extract confessions from suspected criminals.

Despite his untimely end, Duke Sforza's love of gambling and his patronage of the arts helped to lay the groundwork for the development of Tarot and other card games that would become popular throughout Europe in the centuries to come.

Trionfi

The game of Triumph, also known as "Trionfi," was a popular card game in Italy during the 15th century and was likely a precursor to Tarot. Triumph and Tarot share some similarities, such as the use of trumps and the division of the deck into suits, but there are also some significant differences between the two games.

A difference between Triumph and Tarot is the imagery on the cards. While the Triumph deck featured some allegorical and mythological imagery, the images were not as elaborate or symbolic as those found in later Tarot decks. The earliest known Tarot decks, such as the Visconti-Sforza and the Sola-Busca Tarot, feature intricate allegorical painted images that have been interpreted in a variety of ways.

Triumph was a trick-taking game, similar to modern games like Bridge or Hearts. Players would bid on the strength of their hands and would try to win tricks by playing the highest card in the suit led or the highest trump card. 

Sola Busca

The Sola Busca tarot, a mysterious and influential tarot deck, emerged in the late 15th century, around 1491, most likely in Venice, Italy. This period, known as the Renaissance, was a time of immense cultural and artistic flourishing, which is reflected in the deck's intricate and symbolic imagery. Unlike typical tarot decks of the time, which primarily illustrated the Major Arcana, the Sola Busca deck was unique for its detailed artwork across all 78 cards, including the Minor Arcana. The deck's imagery blended classical, biblical, and esoteric themes, reflecting the era's revived interest in the classical world and its leanings towards mysticism and the occult.

The Sola Busca tarot was presumably created for the Venetian nobility or a court, as tarot decks were then luxury items and status symbols among the elite. This deck would have appealed particularly to the educated and culturally sophisticated, who were deeply engaged with art, history, and esoteric knowledge. The Renaissance was a time of intellectual exploration and revival of ancient wisdom, and the Sola Busca tarot, with its rich allegorical content, perfectly encapsulated this spirit of the age.

The legacy of the Sola Busca tarot extends far beyond its time, notably influencing the development of later tarot decks. Its fully illustrated Minor Arcana set a new standard, which was later adopted by influential decks like the Rider-Waite-Smith deck in the 20th century. Original Sola Busca decks are now rare and highly valued, preserved in museums and private collections, and their occasional public exhibitions continue to draw interest from historians, artists, and tarot enthusiasts. Despite its enigmatic origins and certain lingering uncertainties about its creation and initial use, the Sola Busca tarot's significance in the history of tarot art and symbolism remains undisputed.

Woodblock Tarot decks and the Tarot of Marseilles

The history of tarot cards, particularly the earliest woodblock Tarot decks, is deeply intertwined with the cultural and artistic developments of the late medieval and early Renaissance periods in Europe. The earliest tarot decks were crafted using woodblock printing, a technique that involved carving an image into a wooden block, applying ink to the block, and then pressing it onto paper. This method emerged in the mid-15th century, likely in Northern Italy, where the first recorded tarot decks were created. These early decks were luxurious items, hand-painted and used primarily by the nobility for games and possibly for divination. The imagery on these cards was symbolic, featuring themes and characters common in Christian and feudal society, along with allegorical and classical figures.

The Tarot of Marseilles, which came into prominence in the 17th century, is a standard pattern for tarot cards used for divination. However, its roots can be traced back to the early woodblock decks. The Tarot of Marseilles preserved much of the iconography and symbolism of these earlier decks. It featured the same basic structure of 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards, with the Major Arcana including iconic images like The Fool, The Lovers, and Death. The Minor Arcana of the Marseilles decks were divided into four suits - swords, batons (wands), cups, and coins (pentacles) - each with ten numbered cards and four court cards. The imagery of these cards, while stylistically evolving over time, retained the essence of the medieval iconography.

The transition from the earliest woodblock tarot decks to the Tarot of Marseilles reflects both technological advancements and shifts in cultural and artistic sensibilities. As the woodblock printing technique evolved, it became easier and more cost-effective to produce cards, leading to wider availability and popularity. The Tarot of Marseilles, printed first in the cities of Lyon and Marseille, France, became a standardized template due to its widespread circulation. The design of the Tarot of Marseilles was particularly influential, serving as a foundation for many later tarot decks. It standardized certain symbolic elements and the arrangement of figures, which became canonical in the tarot tradition.

The relationship between the earliest woodblock tarot decks and the Tarot of Marseilles is thus one of continuity and evolution. The Tarot of Marseilles inherited a rich symbolic language from its predecessors, which it further refined and standardized. This continuity is not just in the imagery and structure of the decks but also in their uses, which ranged from gaming to contemplation, and eventually to divination. The Tarot of Marseilles and its predecessors encapsulate a fascinating blend of medieval and Renaissance art, mysticism, and the human psyche, making them not just tools for divination but also a reflection of the cultural and historical milieu in which they were created.