Here, looming before us, rises the Torre dei Mazzi. Have you ever sensed a building holding secrets deep within its walls? This tower whispers tales of Milan’s past.
The Mazzi Visconti-Sforza Tarot is a group of Tarot decks. They date back to the 15th century. They likely gave rise to classic decks. They are connected in particular to the early 18th-century Marseilles Tarot. Most contemporary decks derive from it.
These decks hold immense historical and artistic interest. Their illustrations used precious materials. Some believe they depict members of the Visconti and Sforza families. They also have socio-cultural significance. They are linked to the two dynasties. These families governed Milan and Lombardy from the 13th century.
Stuart Kaplan was a scholar and collector of Tarot cards. He said about 15 different Visconti-Sforza decks exist. They are scattered in museums and libraries worldwide. Some reside in private collections. Only some figures or single cards remain from some of the decks.
The most famous Visconti-Sforza decks are the three I’ll describe now. First, we have the Visconti di Modrone deck. It is also called Cary-Yale. It belonged to a cadet branch of the Visconti family. It became part of the Cary family’s historical playing card collection. Yale University’s Beinecke Library acquired it in 1967.
Many scholars consider it the oldest deck. Its exact dating is difficult and controversial. Some believe Filippo Maria Visconti commissioned it. Other scholars place its creation around 1466. Giordano Berti dates it with certainty to 1442-1447. The coins suit shows both the front and back of the gold florin. Duke of Milan Filippo Maria Visconti minted it in 1442. It remained in use until the duke’s death in 1447.
Sixty-seven subjects from this deck remain. These include eleven triumphs, seventeen figures, and thirty-nine unfigured cards. There is no agreement on the deck’s original composition. Some say the cards originally numbered 70. Others believe there were 86. The Cary-Yale deck is the only Western card deck. It has six figures instead of the traditional four. Damsel and a lady on horseback join the knave, horse, king, and queen. So if the deck’s triumphs numbered 22 like in the Pierpont-Morgan deck, the total number of original cards would have been 86.
All triumphs and figures have a gold background. The unfigured cards in the deck have a silver background. The cards measure about 189 by 90 mm.
Next is the Brera-Brambilla deck. Senator Pietro Brambilla bought the cards in Venice in 1900. The Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan has owned the deck since 1971. Francesco Sforza apparently commissioned Bonifacio Bembo to make this deck in 1463. It comprises 48 cards with only two triumphs. They are the Emperor and the Wheel of Fortune. All triumphs and figures have a gold background. The unfigured cards in the deck have a silver background.
The seven remaining figured cards are the knave and horse of cups, the knave and horse of coins, and the knave, horse, and queen of clubs. The numbered cards are almost complete. Only the 4 of coins is missing. The cards measure 180 × 90 mm.
Finally, there’s the Pierpont-Morgan Bergamo deck. It is also called Colleoni-Baglioni and Francesco Sforza. It dates back to around 1451. It originally comprised 78 cards. There were 22 triumphs of which 20 remain. Sixteen court cards remain of which 15 remain. The Horse of Coins is missing. And 40 numerals remain of which 39 remain. The Three of Swords is missing. So 74 cards remain. Thirty-five are in the Pierpont-Morgan Library in New York. Twenty-six are at the Accademia Carrara. Thirteen are part of the Colleoni family of Bergamo’s private collection. All triumphs and figures have a gold background. The numeral cards have a cream background with a colorful floral motif. The two missing triumphs are The Devil and The Tower.
The first known traces of the deck date back to the 17th century. Count Ambiviani sold 74 cards to the Donati family. They in turn sold them to Alessandro Colleoni in the late 19th century. The Bergamo family then sold 26 cards to Count Francesco Baglioni. After his death, they went to the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo. Thirty-five cards went to the Pierpont-Morgan Library. Thirteen cards still remain in the family’s possession today.
The cards are on rounded-corner card stock. They measure 173 × 87 mm. The background of the figured cards is in gold. They have tempera and silver designs. The numeral cards have a natural background.
As we stand before the Torre dei Mazzi, consider the hands that held these cards. Imagine the stories they told and the secrets they kept. This tower has stood witness to centuries of Milanese life. It guards these memories within its ancient stones.