In the late 40ies it seems that card prohibition in Florence was
stronger than before. In the year 1450 suddenly some freedom is developed.
Probably this should be seen in context to the general political
development: Sforza, friend and ally of Cosimo de Medici, had taken Milano in 1450 und with that a period of 30 years of wars ended between Milano and Florence.
Sforza was, all what we know, friendly to card-players. Being a condottieri himself in long years of his
life (condottieri and mercenaries loved card-playing and couldn't hardly be controlled by city rules) he had all reasons to be tolerant in this question.
Probably this new condition changed the politic in Florence. The biographer Vespasiano da Bisticci noted, that
Cosimo did play occasionally chess, but not cards. But Bisticci is by far a "nice-talking" biographer, so one shouldn't be sure about it.
Compare my summary about Franco Pratesi's articles Prohibition in Florence and my article Prohibition Theory
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