Tarocco di 78 Carte Bologna
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[edit] Description
Tarocco di 78 Carte Bologna (Tarot of Bologna) is a full color 78 card deck, that was originally published by Zoni during the 2nd half of the 18th century. It was reprinted with great care by Il Meneghello in 1986, in a small production of 2500 copies. Dimensions: 4.33 x 2.17 inches, 11 x 5.5 cm.
The cards are named in French.
[edit] Translation of the description by Giuliano Crippa included in the Meneghello edition
The production of playing cards in Italy in the 18th century was the undisputed privilege of the City of Bologna and its numerous printers, who worked under different trademarks: All'Aquila (the Eagle) – Al Mondo (the World) – Al Cigno (the Swan) – Al Soldato (the Soldier) – Alla Colomba (the Dove) – Al Leone (the Lion) etc.
The privilege was owed by the very high quality of the packs which were printed there, of types in use for different kinds of games: packs with French suits, Italian suits, CuCu [an Italian game in the far north of Italy], Bolognese tarocchi [tarocchino, with a reduced number of pips], "classical" tarocchi, and Minchiate.
The quality is corroborated by the fact that for how rare packs from the 1700s are, the few conserved are for the most part from Bologna, and that they are found in different regions of Italy demonstrates a strong diffusion and exportation.
The workshops that printed playing cards in other parts of Italy used to mark their products describing them as "in the Bologna style". In this way they described both the good quality of their decks (even when they were just a bad imitation of the original) and the kind of manufacturing: three layers of papers with the borders wrapped to the front. It is likely that also the introduction of card backs with pleasant figures is due to Bologna. In this area we can see the Tarocco by Giacomo Zoni (All'Aquila): a beautiful example of XVIII Centuy Bologna production, made for the popular market.
[edit] Publisher
[edit] Date of Publication
Originally published by Zoni in 18th Century
A reproduction by Il Meneghello in 1986
[edit] Creator's website
(A site by Arnell Ando to honor the Tarot & art contributions by Osvaldo Menegazzi of Il Meneghello. It has much of Osvaldo's published decks and handmade art to date.)
