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>Story of the Decembrio-Manuscript</h3> (the word "Trionfi" is not mentioned)<br><br> <table width="100%" border="0" summary="" cellspacing="5"> <tr> <td align="left" valign="top"> Pier Candido Decembrio, the secretary of Filippo Visconti, derived from a humanistic family. His father Ugo already served for Filippo Maria Visconti, his brother Angelo Camillo, much younger than Decembrio, worked at the court of Ferrara. <br> By this familiar connection there was always a correspondence between the court in Ferrara and in Milano. Decembrio wrote the life of Filippo Maria Visconti short after Filippos death (1447). In the Latin text a very expensive (1500 ducatos) playing card deck is mentioned, the Michelino deck. Then a communication between Decembrio and Leonello d'Este occured. Much later, in the 60ies of the 15th century, Polismagna (Dokument 28) translated the text of Decembrio in Italian language. Polismagna used then the term "Trionfi" for the deck. <br><br><br> <b>Ross Gregory Caldwell has explored the details.</b><br><br> "Pier Candido Decembrio (the elder brother of Angelo Camillo), who had been one of the two Milanese orators at the congress, now entered into the service of the Republic, and wrote the life of the late Duke, taking as his model the life of Tiberius by Suetonius. Filippo Maria had died in August, but in October Decembrio had completed the work and sent it to Leonello, as to a kind of literary dictator, to ask his opinion of it, before publishing it. The Marquis professed himself much delighted with the book and flattered at it having been left with him in this way, but strongly advised the author, seeing that his writings would be immortal, either to strike out or to veil what he had said concerning a secret vice of the Duke's. Decembrio wrote back that he had not mentioned this vice to bring infamy to his late Prince, but rather praise and glory, seeing that his not passing it over in silence would make people lend faith to what he reported in his favour. Nevertheless, he altered the passage in deference to Leonello's opinion, and the alteration was much commended by the latter."<br><br> <b>Sources:</b> <br> Rosmini: <i>Vite e disciplina de Guarino Veronese</i>, i. pp. 109,110 <br> Borsa: <i>Pier Candido Decembri</i>, pp. 83, 84).<br><br> If Leonello and Decembrio spoke clearly about what this vice was, Gardner does not mention it. In English, a "secret vice" is generally masturbation or sodomy, or some other sexual habit.<br><br> [In the article cited by Gardner, Borsa adds: "It seems however that in some copy of the work such an allusion remained, since Giovio in the 'Vite de' dodici Visconti' (p. 123) thus explains "But Candido Decembrio, a writer of that time, full of "bad faith, leaving the praiseworthy things which deserved to be celebrated in Filippo, attributing this pleasure to suspicion of lust" (attribuì quel piacere a sospetto di lussuria).]<br><br> The interesting thing is the potential implication for the puzzling Marziano cards passage. Leonello must therefore have known of this deck. It is possible he wanted to find it, just as Marcello did. It was clearly a famous work, as Marcello hears about it. <br><br> We might ask what some of the implications of the passage are. We already knew some of the conditions, but the situation is clearer now.<br><br> Pier Candido is the older brother of Angelo. Angelo wrote the Politia Literaria, which is an idealized discourse among Leonello, his courtiers, and Guarino. So the Decembrio brothers were familiar with the Ferrarese court - in the 30s and 40s, it must have been the most extravagant humanist court in Italy.<br><br> [Borsa adds that since Pier Candido gave it to Leonello for examination before publishing it (and to no one else), it attests to how highly the Ferrara court was esteemed by the humanists in those years, under the auspices of Guarino, a peaceful and welcome retreat for studies.]<br><br> Carte da Trionfi were known in Ferrara. Two packs were mentioned there by 1447, when Pier Candido Decembrio sent his work, with the description of Marziano's deck, to Leonello. Yet Pier Candido does not call the deck "carte da trionfi."<br><br> Polismagna, who later translated the work for Borso, did in fact call the deck "carte da trionfi". Polismagna must have been familiar enough with carte da trionfi, since Borso commissioned dozens of decks.<br><br> But to get back to Pier Candido in 1447, he does not use that term.<br><br> Could that indicate that "carte da trionfi" are unknown in Milan, at least by that name? <br><br> A second point would be pure speculation - The deck was obviously of great worth. Knowing that Milan was in turmoil, Leonello might well have tried to get the deck himself, since he was a lover of art. </td> <td align="right" valign="top"> <img src="../p/mermaid.jpg" bordercolor="#eeeeee" border="2" width="200" height="210" alt="Picture from Decembrio's Bestiarium" align="top"><br><br> <img src="../p/merboy.jpg" border="2" bordercolor="#eeeeee" width="200" height="150" alt="Picture from Decembrio's Bestiarium"><br><br> <center><b>More miniatures of Decembrio's Bestiarium<br><br> <a href="http://www.circapublishing.com/store/item.asp?DEPARTMENT_ID=14&ITEM_ID=2738" target="_blank"> 1 </a> / <a href="http://www.circapublishing.com/store/item.asp?DEPARTMENT_ID=14&ITEM_ID=2740" target="_blank"> 2 </a> / <a href="http://www.circapublishing.com/store/item.asp?DEPARTMENT_ID=14&ITEM_ID=2741" target="_blank"> 3 </a> / <a href="http://www.circapublishing.com/store/item.asp?DEPARTMENT_ID=14&ITEM_ID=2742" target="_blank"> 4 </a> / <a href="http://www.circapublishing.com/store/item.asp?DEPARTMENT_ID=14&ITEM_ID=2744" target="_blank"> 5 </a> / <a href="http://www.circapublishing.com/store/item.asp?DEPARTMENT_ID=14&ITEM_ID=2746" target="_blank"> 6 </a> / <a href="http://www.circapublishing.com/store/item.asp?DEPARTMENT_ID=14&ITEM_ID=2747" target="_blank"> 7 </a> / <a href="http://www.circapublishing.com/store/item.asp?DEPARTMENT_ID=14&ITEM_ID=2749" target="_blank"> 8 </a> </b><br><br> <font face="verdana">"Petrus Candidus (1399-1477) created <br> wondrous beasts, often giving <br> them subtle human characteristics. "<br></font> </center> </td> </tr> </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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