Trionfi Cards - Early Documents

<table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="0"> <tr><td><a name="a"><b><font size="3" color="#0033ff" face="Verdana, Arial Narrow">    A</font></b></a><a href="http://autorbis.net" target="_blank"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial Narrow">UTORBIS.net </font></a> - <a href="http://trionfi.com" target="_blank"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial Narrow">TRIONFI.com </font></a> </td> <td align="right"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial Narrow">created 2003 - 2006       </td> </tr></table><hr size="1" width="90%"> <table width="100%"><tr><td rowspan="2" width="30%" align="left" valign="top" bgcolor="#dddddd"> <b><font size="+1">The term "Trionfi"<br> - in relation to playing cards</font><br><br> <font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2"><a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/" target="top">Start Documents</a><br> <br><a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/00/">Analyses</a><br></font> <br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/p/06/">1423: Imperatori - first note </a><br><br> March 1425: Birth of Bianca Maria Visconti<br> May 1425: Parisina killed<br> June 1425: Trionfo Filippo Visconti<br><a href="http://trionfi.com/0/b/" target="_top">(Michelino Deck ?)</a><br><br> 1438: Council in Ferrara<br> 1439: Council in Florence<br> (real Trionfo - probably no cards)<br> <br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/00a/">Burchiello</a><br> <br> Autumn 1441 Bianca Maria Visconti in Ferrara<br> (small Trionfo at her arrival - no cards)<br> <br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/00b/">14 Figure, 1.1.1441</a><br> (Marriage Trionfo projected ?)<br> <br> October 1441 Marriage Bianca Maria Visconti<br> (Cary-Yale Tarocchi?, Marriage-Trionfo ?)<br> Marcello is already near to Francesco Sforza <br><br> December 1441: Leonello new Signore in Milano <br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/01/">01  1442/1  Ferrara/Sagramoro</a><br> (February 1442 / Trionfo projected ?)<br> <br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/02/">02  1442/2  Ferrara/Kids</a><br> (small Trionfo for the kids <br> according to the interests <br> of their mother (?)<br> <br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/p/06/">1443 Imperatori - 1st reappearance</a><br> <br> 1443 Real Trionfo in Naples<br> Alfonso of Aragon<br> (no cards known)<br> <br> <a href="http://www.trionfi.com/0/e/00f/">Pause (1443 - 1450)</a><br><br> August 1447: Filippo Maria Visconti dies<br> Decembrio is in Ferrara<br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/00e/">1447 Decembrio writes "Vita ..."</a><br> <br> <a href="http://geocities.com/research_of_tarot/doc08.html" target="_blank">  Vita di Filippo Maria Visconti</a><br> <br> early 1449: Marcello with Francesco Sforza <br> in the region of Milan<br> Scipio Caraffa didn't know Trionfi decks<br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/03/">03  1449/1  Marcello letter</a><br> (Nov. 1449)<br><br> 25.2.1450: Francesco Sforza occupies Milan<br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/04/">04  1450/1  Ferrara/Sagramoro</a><br> 16.3.1450 Trionfi cards are paid<br> 25.3.1450 Leonello visits Milan<br> After 8 years pause suddenly Trionfi decks production in Ferrara<br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/p/06/">Imperatori - 2nd reappearance</a><br> <br> October 1450: Leonello dies<br> Borso new signore in Ferrara<br> <br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/05/">05  1450/2  Florence</a><br> December 1450: Trionfi allowed (Florence)<br> <br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/06/">06  1450/3  Sforza letter</a><br> December 1450: Difficulties to get a Trionfi deck <br> <br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/07/">07  1451/1  Ferrara/Sagramoro</a><br> Borso's Trionfo projected ? <br> <br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/07b/">07b  1452/1  Siena/Emperor-visit</a> <br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/08/">08  1452/1  Malatesta/Sforza</a><br> The letter signals a Trionfi production in Cremona, perhaps as a preparation for a Trionfo<br> August 1453: Real Trionfo in Milan<br> <br> The peace of Lodi is near (9th of April 1454)<br> Probably Borso prepares <br> already before some Trionfi decks<br> production in series from February till April<br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/09/">09  1454/1  Ferrara/Sagramoro</a><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/10/">10  1454/2  Ferrara/Sagramoro</a><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/11/">11  1454/3  Ferrara/production</a><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/12/">12  1454/4  Ferrara/production</a><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/13/">13  1454/5  Ferrara/production</a><br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/13b/">13b  1455/1 Padua / preaching</a><br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/14/">14  1456/1  Ferrara/Trotti</a><br> Trotti's comment signals, that now Trionfi is (at least in Ferrara) a well known game. <br> <br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/15/">15  1456/2  Ferrara/Sagramoro</a><br> Last Sagramoro document </p> <p><a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/16/">16  1457/1  Ferrara/70 cards</a><br> Very important, proves the 5x14 theory<br> </p> <p><a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/17/">17  1457/2  Ferrara/Vicenza</a><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/18/">18  1458/1  Ferrara/Vicenza</a><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/19/">19  1459/1  Ferrara/production</a><br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/20/">20  1459/2  Bologna</a><br> First "real" document outside of the courts)<br> <br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/21/">21  1460/1  Ferrara/Vicenza</a><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/22/">22  1460/2  Ferrara/Vicenza</a><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/23/">23  1460/3  Ferrara/Vicenza</a><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/24/">24  1460/4  Ferrara/Vicenza</a><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/25/">25  1460/5  Ferrara/Vicenza</a><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/25b/">25b  1460/6 / 1513(?) Ancona - allowance</a><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/26/">26  1461/1  Ferrara/Vicenza</a><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/26b/">26b  1461/2 Padova / Valerio Marcello</a><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/27/">27  1463/1  Ferrara/Vicenza</a><br> <br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/28/">28 1463: The law, which allowed Trionfi in Florence, is repeated </a><br> Probably the appearance must be interpreted in the way, that experiments are done with the number of trumps. Possibly the begin of the end of the 5x14-structure, possibly related to the new allowance in Florence 1463.<br><br> <h3>Later Notes (not complete)</h3> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/29/">29 Mantova 1465, inventory</a><br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/p/09/" target="_blank">Minchiate (since 1466)</a><br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/29b/">29b Pavia Castle Frescoes 1469</a><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/29c/">29c Ferrara/Modena Bonacossi production</a><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/30/">30 Polismagna</a><br> relates to the Decembrio Manuscript<br><BR> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/31/">31 Vita di San Bernardino 1472</a><br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/32/">32 Naples 1473 (Aragon court)</a><br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/33/">33 Naples 1474 (Aragon court, Beatrice)</a><br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/33b/">33b Rome 1474 - 1478 / Import from Florence</a><br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/34/">34 Milan 1475, Letter of Galeazzo Maria Sforza</a><br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/34b/">34b Fabriano 1476, request for allowance</a><br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/35/">35 Bologna 1477, printed decks</a><br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/36/">36b Recanati ca. 1480</a><br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/37/">37 Naples 1482, "Cartaio" Francesco</a><br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/38/">38 French dictionary, 1482</a><br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/38b/">38b Cicognara-note (? forgery)</a><br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/39/">39 Brescia, 1488 - allowance</a><br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/40/">40 Salo, 1489 - allowance</a><br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/41/">41 Bergamo 1491 - allowance</a><br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/42/">42 Letter Ippolito d'Este, 1492</a><br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/43/">43 Rene d'Anjou II, France, 1496</a><br><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/44/">44 Reggio, 1500 - allowance</a><br><br> **********************</p> <p><a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/00c/">Artist + Persons</a><br> <a href="http://trionfi.com/0/e/00d/">References</a><br> </p> </ul> </b> </ul></td><td height="50" align="left" valign="top" bgcolor="#dddddd"> "Trionfi" as Cards (Documents) </td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top" bgcolor="#eeeeee"> <h3>Document 07b</h3> <table width="100%"><td> This document became known after our first data collection in the year 2003. It contains an interesting note, which possibly opens the door to speculate about a once existing Emperor Trionfi deck. Ross Caldwell noted:<br><br> <i>Siena, 1452. An overlooked early reference to triumph cards being imported (probably from Florence - thanks to Thierry Depaulis for noting it) -<br><br> Ludovico Zdekauer ("Sull' organizzazione pubblica del giuoco in Italia nel medio evo", Giornale degli Economisti, V, 1892, p. 40-80 as reprinted in L. Zdekauer, _Il gioco d'azzardo nel Medioevo italiano_. Florence, 1993, p. 128 and note 3):<br><br> "Le carte o triomphi da giocare pagano in Siena nel 1452 per ogni paio il dazio enorme di soldi 20, vale a dire L. 1" (AS Siena, Statuto della Gabella, App. 23, f. 30.) <b>Translation:</b> "In Siena in 1452, paid for each pair of playing cards or triumphs the enormous duty of 20 soldi, that is to say 1 lira. </I><br><br> <center><table width="90%" bgcolor="white"><td>In our communication, I requested: "For 1452: "In Siena in 1452, paid for each pair of playing cards or triumphs the enormous duty of 20 soldi, that is to say 1 lira" ... it sounds, as if the original didn't contain the word "Trionfi", but something, which was only interpreted as "Trionfi cards". Could this be made more real?"<br> Ross replied: "Unfortunately Zdekauer doesn't quote the passage. However, the way he phrases it, along with his scrupulous use of sources - he was an exemplary scholar - makes Depaulis and me trust him. We are sure that the word "trionfi" appears in the original document. There was no way he would have made it up, if it weren't there. He had no particular interest in tarot cards. In other words, I think it's reliable, but it is not certain until somebody checks the original document."</td></table></center> <br><br> In my own research the following context seems to be remarkable and perhaps explains the appearance of Trionfi cards in 1452 in Siena: <br><br> <center><table width="90%" bgcolor="white"><td><b>Generally in 1450: </b>After Sforza's occupation of Milan in February 1450 and his triumphal entry in the city end of March Italy had a peaceful year with many festivities cause the papal Jubilee year, which then was celebrated all 50 years. The year brought many pilgrims as visitors, a lot of money and finally also a deadly plague, which took a lot of lifes especially in Milan. In Florence took place negotiations between the earlier fighting parties and the situation gives the impression, as if a longer Italian peace was possible. <b>December 1450:</b> Enea Piccolomini, later Pope Pius II. (1458 - 1464), as diplomat for Emperor Fredrick III. agrees in a marriage contract between the Emperor and Eleanore of Portugal in Naples, with Alfonso V. of Aragon, king of Naples and uncle to Eleanor. Piccolomini, born in the Sienese region and earlier student at the university of Siena, became in 1450 bishop of Siena, while being already bishop of Trieste in 1447. In the same month December in 1450 the decree of Florence allowed the Trionfi game - likely this was accompanied by a Trionfi card edition the same year in Florence and likely it acompanied the optimism of the year 1450 and the general peace expectation (which didn't fulfill immediately). On the same background Frederick III.'s decision to plan the celebration of his marriage and his coronation in Italy must be understood.<br><br> <br>End of 1451:</b> Fredrick III. arrived with 1000 horsemen and another 1000 visitors in Treviso. He didn't visited Milanese territory, cause he didn't agree with Francesco Sforza, whom he interpreted as usurpator. <br> He reached Ferrara, was with pride shown there and agreed to make Borso duke of Modena and Reggio later. At Ferrara he had best opportunity to learn about the Italian Trionfi decks - which were especially connected to triumphal opportunities and marriages between highstanding persons were prefered "triumphal opportunities". Naturally Fredrick should have adapted the "local custom" for his own near marriage festivity.<br> He met there also Ludovico Gonzaga of Mantova and Galeazzo Maria, the 8-year old son of Francesco Sforza. Bessarion reached him at Bologna and he visited the city of Florence with many festivities.<br> Eleanora left Portugal at 12th of November 1451 and had a long journey on sea, accompanied by 2000 men as protection, anxious expected by Enea Piccolomini in Siena. She reached Livorno at 2nd of February, Piccolomini went to Pisa to meet her. At the 24th of February 1452 she, 16 years old then, met Fredrick III. (35 years old) in Siena, the first meeting was celebrated with a still existing column with heraldic signs of both houses. Four days of grandious festivities followed in Siena. <br> 1st of March Fredrick left Siena, took the journey to Rome and prophesized to Enea Piccolomini his function as later pope. He was crowned in Rome 19th of March. At 24th March he left for Naples, where the marriage took place. He was back in Rome at 22nd of April and left at the 26th. At 18th of May Borso was crowned as duke of Modena and Reggio. Later (after 22nd of May 1452) followed festivities in Venice, then at the begin of June the emperor left Itay.<br><br> Ladislaus Posthumus, who some years later (ca. 1455, estimated) is connected to the still existing woodcut deck "Hofaemterspiel", accompanied the Emperor in Italy. </td></table></center><br><br> Siena as a major place for the German Emperor developed in competition to Florence from the local Ghibelline tradition (which meant pro-German Emperor usually; Florence had Guelphic tradition - pro-Pope). Emperor Sigismondo already spend on his visit a longer time in Siena 1432/33, when waiting for peace in North Italy and an agreement with the difficult Pope Eugenius. <br> Pope Pius II., the man from Siena, met some opposition in Florence in April 1459 ...likely this had as background the old concurrence of the both cities. Finally Florence did win in the competition, Siena lost in importance during 15th century.<br> Siena had a republic with consuls, higher nobility as the Visconti in Milan and the Este in Ferrara didn't exist and couldn't serve as sponsor for "Trionfi decks". Likely the Emperor festivities in February 1452 had been the best opportunity to produce them. <br> <br> <b>(autorbis)</b> </td><td width="250" valign="_top"><center><img src="saeule-friedrich.jpg"><br><br> <b>A column of triumph was erected for the first meeting between the bride Eleanora of Portugal and Emperor Fredrick in Siena. It was painted inside the series of frescoes for the later Pope Pius II.</b></td></table> </td></tr></table> <hr><br><br> <center><b><font size="1">Trionfi.com </b>has its focus on Tarot History and especially the origin of Tarot in 15th century, also the representation of about 100 000 Tarot and other playing cards in the Tarot Museum. <br><b>The chapter "Trionfi as Cards (Documents)"</b> presents the early documents, which note the term "Trionfi" (or similar, for instance "ludus triumphorum") in context to playing cards. The first appearance is from February 1442. The chapter is still in development. <br> Author: when not otherwise specified, autorbis. Copyright: trionfi.com. 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