One of the most historically
significant and best-known early tarots is
the Visconti tarot -- so named for the
fourteenth century Italian noble family
who commissioned the cards from the artist
Bonifacio Bembo. In fact, in one copy of
this notable deck, 74 of the original 78
cards has survived to today, although
these surviving examples are split and are
housed in three separate collections.
There have been numerous modern
reprints of the Visconti cards. Almost all
of these reprints have been expanded to 78
cards through a recreation of the 4
missing cards, the designs of which have
been based on careful research of the
available historical information.
Among the most notable Visconti
reproductions is a ca. 1975 edition by
Monumenta Longobardica of Italy. The
high-quality, large-format cards are
housed in a leather bookshelf case -- a
truly distinctive publication that is
worthy of the important work it
recreates. To see sampples fot eh
manumenta Longobardica deck at actual
size, click the "More Samples" button at
left.
For more information on this
fascinating deck, write to us at info@tarotgarden.com,
or refer to the extensive information on
the Visconti family and their tarots in
Stuart Kaplan's Encyclopedia of
Tarot vol. I.
