Oldest Tarotcards. Origin of Tarot. Research of the history of Tarot.

<div id="root" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:676px;height:2510px"> <div style="position:absolute;left:17;top:17;width:635;height:22;"> <table width=635 height=22 border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr valign="top"> <td bgcolor="#F0EBFF"><span style="font-size:14"> </span><a href="http://trionfi.com"><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">Trionfi.com </span></font></i></a><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">    </span></font></i><a href="http://www.geocities.com/autorbis/marcello1.html"><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">Start </span></font></i></a><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14"> </span></font></i><a href="http://www.geocities.com/autorbis/Marcello11.html"><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">1st Trionfi Deck</span></font></i></a><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">     </span></font></i><a href="http://www.geocities.com/autorbis/Marcello12.html"><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">Letter </span></font></i></a><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">    </span></font></i><a href="http://www.geocities.com/autorbis/Marcello13.html"><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">Introduction</span></font></i></a><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">     </span></font></i><a href="http://www.geocities.com/autorbis/Marcello14.html"><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">Gods  </span></font></i></a><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">    </span></font></i><a href="http://www.geocities.com/autorbis/Marcello15.html"><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">Interpretation </span></font></i></a><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">     </span></font></i><a href="http://www.geocities.com/autorbis/Marcello16.html"><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">Persons</span></font></i></a></td> </tr></table></div> <div style="position:absolute;left:41;top:55;width:588;height:53;"> <table width=588 height=53 border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr valign="top"> <td bgcolor="#F0F0F0" align="center"><b><i><font size="+2"><span style="font-size:24">Marcello's Letter<br></span></font></b></i><b><i><span style="font-size:14">Tarot-Document: Description of The Letter of Jacopo Antonio Marcello</span></b></i></td> </tr></table></div> <div style="position:absolute;left:29;top:2341;width:635;height:22;"> <table width=635 height=22 border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr valign="top"> <td bgcolor="#F0EBFF"><span style="font-size:14"> </span><a href="http://trionfi.com"><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">Trionfi.com </span></font></i></a><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">    </span></font></i><a href="http://www.geocities.com/autorbis/marcello1.html"><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">Start </span></font></i></a><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14"> </span></font></i><a href="http://www.geocities.com/autorbis/Marcello11.html"><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">1st Trionfi Deck</span></font></i></a><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">     </span></font></i><a href="http://www.geocities.com/autorbis/Marcello12.html"><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">Letter </span></font></i></a><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">    </span></font></i><a href="http://www.geocities.com/autorbis/Marcello13.html"><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">Introduction</span></font></i></a><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">     </span></font></i><a href="http://www.geocities.com/autorbis/Marcello14.html"><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">Gods  </span></font></i></a><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">    </span></font></i><a href="http://www.geocities.com/autorbis/Marcello15.html"><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">Interpretation </span></font></i></a><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">     </span></font></i><a href="http://www.geocities.com/autorbis/Marcello16.html"><i><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">Persons</span></font></i></a></td> </tr></table></div> <div style="position:absolute;left:75;top:2415;width:558;height:45;"> <table width=558 height=45 border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr valign="top"> <td bgcolor="#CCCCFF" align="center"><i><font color="#0000FF" size="-1"><span style="font-size:12">Links on this page do lead to foreign resources. The author is not responsible for the contents of these sites.<br>If you want to return to this site, bookmark this page or use the "back" button of your browser.<br></span></font></i></td> </tr></table></div> <div style="position:absolute;left:230;top:2476;width:240;height:22;"> <table width=240 height=22 border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr valign="top"> <td bgcolor="#9999FF" align="center"><i><font color="#0000FF"><span style="font-size:14">copyright: </span></font></i><a href="mailto:autorbis@yahoo.com"><i><font color="#0000FF"><span style="font-size:14">autorbis@yahoo.com</span></font></i></a></td> </tr></table></div> <div style="position:absolute;left:230;top:2378;width:240;height:22;"> <table width=240 height=22 border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr valign="top"> <td align="center"><a href="http://www.geocities.com/autorbis/Marcello11.html"><b><i><font size="+1"><span style="font-size:18">back </span></font></b></i></a><b><i><font size="+1"><span style="font-size:18">    </span></font></b></i><a href="http://www.geocities.com/autorbis/Marcello12.html"><b><i><font size="+1"><span style="font-size:18">top</span></font></b></i></a><b><i><font size="+1"><span style="font-size:18">      </span></font></b></i><a href="http://www.geocities.com/autorbis/Marcello13.html"><b><i><font size="+1"><span style="font-size:18">next</span></font></b></i></a></td> </tr></table></div> <div style="position:absolute;left:39;top:116;width:599;height:2210;"> <table width=599 height=2210 border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr valign="top"> <td bgcolor="#F0F0F0"><span style="font-size:14"> </span></td> </tr></table></div> <div style="position:absolute;left:59;top:122;width:570;height:2191;"> <table width=570 height=2191 border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr valign="top"> <td bgcolor="#F0F0F0"><span style="font-size:14">The letter, written in Latin by Marcello 1449, informs us, that in the year before Marcello was in the camp of Francesco Sforza as leader of the Venetian troops, fighting together with Sforza against the Milanese Ambrosian republic. <br>Scipio Caraffa arrived from France, bringing with him news from Isabella and Rene d’Anjou. From other sources it is known, that Marcello became acquainted to Rene d'Anjou through Francesco Sforza in 1442 - or little earlier - during Rene's stay in Italy; in his later life Marcello called Rene and Francesco "close friends". Between Marcello and Rene developed in the course of time a </span><a href="http://www.geocities.com/autorbis/rene_marcello.html"><span style="font-size:14">literary relationship</span></a><span style="font-size:14">.<br>It happened, that during Caraffa's visit Marcello got a present, a pack of Trionfi-cards (</span><i><span style="font-size:14">ex eo ludo quem triumphum apellant cartae</span></i><span style="font-size:14">). Immediately Caraffa was rather engaged to induce Marcello to send this card deck as present  to Isabella, Queen of Lorraine, and wife of Rene d'Anjou.<br><br>Marcello was enjoyed about the idea, but considered the deck being one of a lower quality, not worth to be in use by a queen (not well enough pictured and engraved; </span><i><span style="font-size:14">neque enim pro regio fastigeo ornatae et excultae esse videbantur</span></i><span style="font-size:14">;  "engraved" may indicate a printing process, used in manufacturing playing cards, - examples of this are known from contemporary German decks not from Italian decks, Marcello starts to look for some artists, who are expert in these productions (solertissimus harum rerum artifex). <br><br>From other sources it is known, that Marcello's worth as a militaric general is not as highly evaluated as he likes to give the impression; actually it seems, that he had more the role of a "spy and an ambassadore". His present to Isabella might have not been spend by his own money, but invested by the state of Venice for good diplomatic connections; in Marcellos  later life other worthful presents by him to Rene d'Anjou play a greater role. His"friendship" to Francesco Sforza might have had a similar background.<br><br>On his research Marcello became aware, that Filippo Visconti, who died shortly before, had invented a certain new and very fine kind of triumphs (</span><i><span style="font-size:14">novum quoddam et exquisitum triumphorum genus</span></i><span style="font-size:14">). Filippo is famous to Marcello for inventing objects in various fields (the text indicates invention of "</span><i><span style="font-size:14">maximarum rerum</span></i><span style="font-size:14">", greatest things, most important matters).<br><br>In a short description Marcello relates to the game: 16 celestial princes and barons, 4 kings leading the orders of 4 different birds. Filippo gave the scheme to a scholar and expert in astrology to describe the game (the name Marziano is not noted by Marcello)  and ordered Michelino da Besozzo to picture the game in a most original and decorative way.<br><br>Marcello realizes, that this is the deck, that he shall look for. We don't know, if Marcello's exaggerates the difficulties he had to make the present look greater than it was, but he "thinks day and night" how to get book and deck out of  the great disorder of all the earlier possessions of the duke (from other sources we know, that after Filippo's death the Milanese citizens in their aim to build up the Ambrosian republic had  stormed the Visconti-castle and destroyed it more or less completely; Francesco Sforza did build the Castello Sforzesco at the same place, when he became duke). Information could only be received by enemies, but at last and with some good fortune, Marcello has reason for highest and undescribable satisfaction, he gets both, book and deck. "</span><i><span style="font-size:14">Nothing is impossible wishing  to honour his lord and prince</span></i><span style="font-size:14">."<br><br>Book and cards and letter go to the hand of Giovanni Cossa with the order to bring them to the queen, also included are (diplomatic important) regards to the husband and also those superior cards (</span><i><span style="font-size:14">adiunxi et  eis cartes ilias superiores</span></i><span style="font-size:14">). (In this Latin sentence "et"  is not a problem, it can be translated as "also" or "too", the unusual position in the text is often observed. "</span><i><span style="font-size:14">Superiores</span></i><span style="font-size:14">" is a problem: One interpretation might lead to the conclusion, that there are higher cards, absent in the original version, now required to complete the deck. In this case Marcello did send one updated pack, formed by new and old cards. More probable looks the interpretation, that "superiores" could be understood as "mentioned above" and refered to the pack of Trionfi that arrived in the camp and was not good enough for the use of a queen. In this case Marcello send two packs.)<br><br>Ironically the date of sending gives "Monselice, in the ides of November." In Monselice is the home of the Marcello-family, which became in the later century rather important in Venice  - and Monselice lies near Padua far in the east of Milano, quite the opposite direction of the address of Isabella, which was in the west (with thanks to Ross Gregory Caldwell: “Isabelle of Lorraine lived in the Chateau of Launay, near Saumur (in the Loire region) from August of 1449 until her death on 28 February, 1453”). <br>So Marcello  at least didn't really haste to send his parcel, perhaps it's a simple truth, that he hadn't much difficulties to get the deck, but took the opportunity to elaborate a nice story to make the deck look very romantic - such things were favoured especially at the court of Rene d'Anjou (who in his youth escorted Jeanne d'Arc – perhaps a forgery) and Marcello did know that (and from other sources we do know, that he  is suspected to write in a little exaggerating manner, being also a poet in his soul - similar to Rene). However, as mentioned above, Marcello didn't send the original book but a copy, perhaps cause the reason that the original text was in bad condition. This repairing action he could have hardly done in a camp of soldiers, so eventually this is the reason for the "letter from Monselice".<br><br>There should be much material to the person of Jacopo Antonio Marcello in the book of <br><br> </span><a href="http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/history/king/MLKCV.htm"><span style="font-size:14">Margaret L. King.</span></a><span style="font-size:14"> The Death of the Child Valerio Marcello. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994. Pp. xviii + 484 + 20 halftones. ISBN 0-226-43620-9 <br><br>which I do know only from a </span><a href="http://www.infomotions.com/serials/bmmr/bmmr-9505-taglia-death.txt"><span style="font-size:14">review</span></a><span style="font-size:14"> in the Internet. There it turns out, that Marcello is a well respected man in the 50ies and 60ies of 15th century, especially honoured by artists and humanists, cause it seems, he had a lot of money to spend for their productions. For instance, the famous Mantegna worked for him, before he was engaged in Mantua in 1459 by Ludovico Gonzaga, where he stayed for his life. <br><br>The above mentioned Giovanni Cossa, who became responsible for the transport of the parcel and who at first impression might look as an unimportant servant, turned out to be (99 % security) the nephew of </span><a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08434a.htm"><span style="font-size:14">Baldassare Cossa alias Pope John XXIII.</span></a><span style="font-size:14"> (1410 – 1415), one of 3 Popes at the same time before the Council of Constance, where all 3 Popes lost their job and John, now Baldassare Cossa again, was accused and held in prison for four years in Heidelberg. Formerly, when still Pope John, Baldassare took charge in the interests of the Anjou against the residing king of Naples, Ladislaus (died 1414). During that time the condottieri Muzio Attendola (father of Francesco Sforza) changed sides from Pope to Ladislaus (the Pope didn’t pay), which the furious John alias Baldassare countered with puppets hanging head down  from trees, with  a signboard around their neck: “I’m Muzio Attendola, farmer of Cotignola …” (a common sign for treachery – it developed to be a Tarot card).    <br><br>According to the foes of Pope John he descended of a family of pirates in Naples and was used to enormous sexual excesses. Gaspare, John’s brother and Giovanni’s father, also engaged for the Anjou and had to leave Naples. When in 1435 Queen Jeanne II. of Naples died, the old question of Anjou or Aragon raised again. Giovanni was on the side of the Anjou as his father and uncle and became a leading figure for the Anjou party in the city, defending the Anjou’s interest in Naples till the end in 1442, but had to capitulate finally, when Alfonso d'Aragon took Naples. Giovanni Cossa followed Rene to France, but seems to have been often in secret diplomatic mission in Renes interests in Italy, probably working in secrecy on the project to fight for Naples again. Major attempts were done later, in 1453 (fighting a short time together with Francesco Sforza) and 1459, when Alfonso had died. Both actions failed. <br><br>In his biography it is noted, that he returned to France from Italy in May 1448 and was back in Italy in May 1450, his residence in the meantime is unknown. As we do know from Marcellos letter he was in Monselice, Italia, November 1449, probably with the intention to have a highly conspirative talk with the Venetian general, ambassodore and spy Jacopo Antonio Marcello. A central theme was surely, that Francesco Sforza was on his turn to become duke of Milan in spring 1450 (compare </span><a href="http://www.storiadimilano.it/cron/dal1401al1450.htm"><span style="font-size:14">storia di Milano</span></a><span style="font-size:14">). In Milan, one of the greatest cities in Europe (</span><a href="http://historic-cities.huji.ac.il/italy/milan/maps/braun_hogenberg_I_42_b.jpg"><span style="font-size:14">have an impression here, a map from 16th century, a little later</span></a><span style="font-size:14">), some 1000 people were at this moment near to die for hunger (they died really, a little  later). Venetia, which wished to see only a small Milanese influence in North Italia for the future, not a strong Milan under the capable general Sforza, had tried  – to the later regret of Marcello - to cheat Sforza, whom Marcello, although himself a Venetian general, saw as a friend. The chances for Sforza to achieve his goal were considered to be small at this moment.  <br>So there were also other things to talk, when the parcel was send to Isabella, the world had greater themes than playing cards. Italy was at a great change of its history and nobody did know, how it would turn out.  <br><br></span><b><i><span style="font-size:14">For playing card history it is especially interesting, that Marcello knows artists (not only one), who are already specialised to produce trionfi decks. Together  with the documents in great number in Ferrara (since 1450), Florence (1450) and Milano (1450 and 1452) it testifies, that there is some greater distrubution of the decks at this time.  <br>But:  Very interesting it is, that Marcello is willing to use the term  "New kind of Trionfi" for the deck of Filippo, which is quite far off that, what is generally (and especially in our modern eyes) be considered to be a Tarocchi-game, differing in the number of the cards and differing in the motives- which rather definitely  means, that the relation between playing card decks and the term "Trionfi" is more or less undefined in the time of Marcello. <br>This means: When in 1442 in Ferrara and around 1450  "Trionfi" are manufactured and bought, </span></b></i><b><i><font color="#FF0000"><span style="font-size:14">we don't know</span></font></b></i><b><i><span style="font-size:14">,  how the relevant objects looked like and we don't know, </span></b></i><b><i><font color="#FF0000"><span style="font-size:14">how many</span></font></b></i><b><i><span style="font-size:14"> </span></b></i><b><i><font color="#FF0000"><span style="font-size:14">trump cards were in these decks. </span></font></b></i><font color="#FF0000"><span style="font-size:14"><br></span></font><span style="font-size:14"><br></span><a href="http://www.geocities.com/autorbis/pbm14new.html"><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14">This conclusion is of some importance for the theory about the 5x14-deck.</span></font></a><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size:14"><br></span></font></td> </tr></table></div> </div> <center>This project uses frames, your browser doesn't allow frames. <a href="http://geocities.com/autorbis/">Click here</a></center>