The term "Trionfi" - in relation to playing cards
Start Documents
Analyses
1423: Imperatori - first note
March 1425: Birth of Bianca Maria Visconti
May 1425: Parisina killed
June 1425: Trionfo Filippo Visconti (Michelino Deck ?)
1438: Council in Ferrara
1439: Council in Florence
(real Trionfo - probably no cards)
Burchiello
Autumn 1441 Bianca Maria Visconti in Ferrara
(small Trionfo at her arrival - no cards)
14 Figure, 1.1.1441
(Marriage Trionfo projected ?)
October 1441 Marriage Bianca Maria Visconti
(Cary-Yale Tarocchi?, Marriage-Trionfo ?)
Marcello is already near to Francesco Sforza
December 1441: Leonello new Signore in Milano
01 1442/1 Ferrara/Sagramoro
(February 1442 / Trionfo projected ?)
02 1442/2 Ferrara/Kids
(small Trionfo for the kids
according to the interests
of their mother (?)
1443 Imperatori - 1st reappearance
1443 Real Trionfo in Naples
Alfonso of Aragon
(no cards known)
Pause (1443 - 1450)
August 1447: Filippo Maria Visconti dies
Decembrio is in Ferrara
1447 Decembrio writes "Vita ..."
Vita di Filippo Maria Visconti
early 1449: Marcello with Francesco Sforza
in the region of Milan
Scipio Caraffa didn't know Trionfi decks
03 1449/1 Marcello letter
(Nov. 1449)
25.2.1450: Francesco Sforza occupies Milan
04 1450/1 Ferrara/Sagramoro
16.3.1450 Trionfi cards are paid
25.3.1450 Leonello visits Milan
After 8 years pause suddenly Trionfi decks production in Ferrara
Imperatori - 2nd reappearance
October 1450: Leonello dies
Borso new signore in Ferrara
05 1450/2 Florence
December 1450: Trionfi allowed (Florence)
06 1450/3 Sforza letter
December 1450: Difficulties to get a Trionfi deck
07 1451/1 Ferrara/Sagramoro
Borso's Trionfo projected ?
07b 1452/1 Siena/Emperor-visit
08 1452/1 Malatesta/Sforza
The letter signals a Trionfi production in Cremona, perhaps as a preparation for a Trionfo
August 1453: Real Trionfo in Milan
The peace of Lodi is near (9th of April 1454)
Probably Borso prepares
already before some Trionfi decks
production in series from February till April
09 1454/1 Ferrara/Sagramoro
10 1454/2 Ferrara/Sagramoro
11 1454/3 Ferrara/production
12 1454/4 Ferrara/production
13 1454/5 Ferrara/production
13b 1455/1 Padua / preaching
14 1456/1 Ferrara/Trotti
Trotti's comment signals, that now Trionfi is (at least in Ferrara) a well known game.
15 1456/2 Ferrara/Sagramoro
Last Sagramoro document
16 1457/1 Ferrara/70 cards
Very important, proves the 5x14 theory
17 1457/2 Ferrara/Vicenza
18 1458/1 Ferrara/Vicenza
19 1459/1 Ferrara/production
20 1459/2 Bologna
First "real" document outside of the courts)
21 1460/1 Ferrara/Vicenza
22 1460/2 Ferrara/Vicenza
23 1460/3 Ferrara/Vicenza
24 1460/4 Ferrara/Vicenza
25 1460/5 Ferrara/Vicenza
25b 1460/6 / 1513(?) Ancona - allowance
26 1461/1 Ferrara/Vicenza
26b 1461/2 Padova / Valerio Marcello
27 1463/1 Ferrara/Vicenza
28 1463: The law, which allowed Trionfi in Florence, is repeated
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.
Later Notes (not complete)
29 Mantova 1465, inventory
Minchiate (since 1466)
29b Pavia Castle Frescoes 1469
29c Ferrara/Modena Bonacossi production
30 Polismagna
relates to the Decembrio Manuscript
31 Vita di San Bernardino 1472
32 Naples 1473 (Aragon court)
33 Naples 1474 (Aragon court, Beatrice)
33b Rome 1474 - 1478 / Import from Florence
34 Milan 1475, Letter of Galeazzo Maria Sforza
34b Fabriano 1476, request for allowance
35 Bologna 1477, printed decks
36b Recanati ca. 1480
37 Naples 1482, "Cartaio" Francesco
38 French dictionary, 1482
38b Cicognara-note (? forgery)
39 Brescia, 1488 - allowance
40 Salo, 1489 - allowance
41 Bergamo 1491 - allowance
42 Letter Ippolito d'Este, 1492
43 Rene d'Anjou II, France, 1496
44 Reggio, 1500 - allowance
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Artist + Persons
References
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"Trionfi" as Cards (Documents)
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Document 20
The only reference to Trionfi cards between 1452 and 1463 outside of Ferrara. The whole case signifies, that the mentioned stolen Trionfi cards are an object of very high worth. A German card maker is involved - other German card producers in Bologna are mentioned in documents from 1427 and 1395, they seem to have played a dominant role in this city. Bologna and Padova had universities, which were prefered by German students and German playing card production technologies were likely superior to the Italian development. A printing card press in Ferrara (1436) with the involvement of the marriage of a German princess to the court of Mantova (Barbara of Brandenburg) followed a visit of Emperor Sigismondo to Ferrara in 1433, likely as part of the story of a German technology export to Italy. So it seems, that the invasion of early German printing technologies took its way via Bologna.
1459 8 August - Bindo da Prato and the stolen trionfi
- the 3 representations refer to the same action.
1. Master John of Rudolf of Germany ("maestro Giovanni di Rodolfo di Alemagna", likely correct interpreted as "Master John, son of Rodolfo of Germany") recognizes the cards stolen in a robbery as his." (Orioli says the title "magister" suggests John is the cardmaker, but admits it is not clear.) [Orioli 1908, 112] (note Ross Caldwell)
2. Bindo da Prato l'8 agosto 1459 denunciò a Bologna un furto compiuto ai suoi danni dal barbiere Floriano. La perquisizione in casa del barbiere portò al rinvenimento anche di unum per cartarum a Trumphis, un mazzo di tarocchi.
Quote from Tarocchino Bolognese
3. Allo stato attualedelle ricerche, la prima notizia certa riguardante la presenza di carte di trionfi a Bologna e del 1459, epoca in cui a Ferrara a Milano queste venivano utilizzate nella loro forma miniata.
Infatti, dalle cronache giudizarie veniamo a conoscenza che un donzello del Podesta di Bologna, certo Floriano di professione barbiere, venne incolpata da Bindo da Prato di furto. Messo alla tortura, l'indiziato confessa la propria colpevolezza e la successiva perquisizioe nella sua aitazione porto allo scoperta, fra le altre cose, di unum par cartarum a triumphis.
Quote from Andrea Vitali: il Tarocchino da Bologna, Bologna 2005, p. 16
Ross Caldwell translated and commented: " 'In fact, from the judicial chronicle we know that a page of the
Podesta of Bologna, a certain Floriano, by profession a barber, was
accused of theft by Bindo da Prato. Put to torture, the indicted
confessed his guilt and the subsequent search of his house led to
the discovery, among other things, of one pack of triumph cards.'
I should add that Orioli continues this episode with "(one pack of
triumph cards), that a certain master Giovanni di Rodolfo di
Alemagna declared his and recognized as stolen. This seems to mean that Floriano robbed Bindo da Prato, but that he
also stole from others, including John of Rudolf of Germany. John's
cards were only discovered because they searched Floriano's house."
All comments seem to refer to Orioli 1908 : Emilio Orioli, 'Sulle carte da giuoco a Bologna nel secolo XV', Il Libro e la Stampa, anno II (n.s.), 1908, pp. 109-19; see p.
112.
Orioli text, 1908
E la cronache giudizarie di que' tempi continuano a fornirci dati e notizie intorno alle carte da giuoco. Cosi nel giorno 8 agosto 1459 certo Bindo da Prato, denunciando un furto sofferto, dichiaro di sospettarne colpevole un donzello del podesta e certo Floriano barbiere. Avendo pero quest'ultimo negato di avere commesso il furto, sottoposto percio alla tortura, fini per confessarsene autore. Ordinata quindi una perquisione in casa sua, vi furono rinvenuti non solo gli oggetti rubati a Bindo da Prato, ma anche denari et altre cose di provenienzia furtiva e fra queste "unum par cartarum a triumphis", che certo maestro Giovanni di Rodolfo di Alemagna dichiaro suo e riconobbe come rubatogli.(Orioli refers to Vacchettini giudiziari, vol. del. 1459, c. 21 + 22)
Si potrebbe forse dedurre che quest'altro tedesco fosse un fabbricante di carte da giuoco per la qualifica di "magister", che si legge a lui data nel verbale della sua deposizione, ma di cio non abbiam sicurezza.
Le carte da giuoco si trovano menzionata in un altro verbale di processo a proposito di un pugno sul naso dato da un giuocatore ad un altro "cum luderunt in simul ad ludum cartularum" (Orioli refers to Ivi, Vacchettini cit., vol. del 1473, c. 208).
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Angel Tarocchino Bolognese |
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