History and symbols
What Is the Visconti-Sforza Tarot?
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The Visconti-Sforza tarot is a set of tarocchi cards hand-painted in Milan in the mid-15th century for families tied to the Visconti and Sforza dukes. It is one of the oldest surviving decks, and its cards are now scattered across collections in Italy and the United States.
A luxury Renaissance deck
The Visconti-Sforza was not a deck for ordinary people. The cards were painted and gilded by hand, commissioned by a court, so very few were made. The images show noble figures, allegorical scenes and knights, in the style of Italian painting of the period.
The deck is usually dated to the middle of the 15th century, but the exact date and the artist are debated among specialists. Tradition suggests a few names, with no absolute consensus.
Where the cards are today
The deck did not reach us complete. The cards ended up divided among museums and institutions, such as the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo and the Morgan Library in New York. Some cards are also in private hands.
Because of these gaps, many modern editions complete the set with cards drawn by contemporary artists in the style of the time. When buying one, it is worth checking what is original and what was reconstructed.
Why it matters for tarot today
The Visconti-Sforza shows what a tarocchi deck looked like before any esoteric system. Several figures already appear there, such as the Wheel of Fortune and the Hanged Man, in versions different from the ones we see today.
This helps us understand that the symbolism of the cards has changed over time. To research further, the best path is museum catalogs and the reproductions made by institutions that hold the original cards.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Visconti-Sforza the oldest tarot in the world?
- It is one of the oldest to survive in significant numbers, but fragments and records of other 15th-century decks exist. Saying which one is the very first is hard and depends on the criteria used.
- Can you read tarot with the Visconti-Sforza?
- You can, and some people enjoy it. Since the Minor Arcana have no illustrated scenes, the reading usually relies on numbers and suits.
- Who painted the Visconti-Sforza?
- There is no consensus. Attribution to a specific painter is debated, and the safest thing to say is that it was made by artists of the Milanese court.
Educational content, for reflection. Tarot does not replace medical, legal or financial advice.