History and symbols
Where Did Tarot Come From? The History of Tarocchi in Italy
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Tarot emerged in northern Italy in the mid-15th century as a card game called tarocchi or trionfi. It was a suited deck with an added set of illustrated trump cards. Symbolic and divinatory use only appears much later, from the 18th century on, especially in France.
A card game before it was an oracle
Playing cards reached Europe in the 14th century, and the suits we know today in tarot (cups, swords, wands and coins) come from that tradition. At some point in the 15th century, at courts in northern Italy, an extra group of illustrated cards was added to those suits. This expanded deck was used for a game in which the trump cards beat all the others.
The oldest names for the game are trionfi and, later, tarocchi. The word tarot comes from that Italian term, by way of French.
What we know and what is debated
Historians agree that the oldest decks were made by hand for noble families, and that the game spread across Italy and then France. The exact origin of the images, the original order of the trumps and the reason behind each chosen figure, however, are still debated.
Many popular stories link tarot to ancient Egypt or to medieval secret societies. None of these origins is supported by the documents that survive, and today they are seen as legends invented centuries later.
From game to symbolic reading
The idea of reading tarot as a system of symbols gained strength in 18th-century France and was developed by occultists in the following centuries. It is in this phase that the deck goes from pastime to a tool for reflection and divination.
- 15th century: tarocchi as a card game in northern Italy.
- 16th to 18th centuries: the game spreads across Europe and regional patterns appear, such as the Marseille pattern.
- 18th century onward: French authors begin to interpret the cards symbolically and divinatorily.
- 1909: publication of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck in England.
Frequently asked questions
- Did tarot come from Egypt?
- That idea appeared in the 18th century, but it has no support in historical documents. The oldest decks we know of are Italian and date from the 15th century.
- What does the word tarocchi mean?
- Tarocchi is the Italian name for the game and the deck, used from the 16th century in place of trionfi. Scholars still discuss the exact origin of the word.
- Has tarot always been used to read the future?
- No. For most of the 15th and 16th centuries it was just a game. Divinatory and symbolic use grew later.
Educational content, for reflection. Tarot does not replace medical, legal or financial advice.