Minchiate decks are estimated to date back to the sixteenth century. The game of Minchiate was very popular in Florence and throughout Italy even up to the 1930's The graceful and elegant designs showcase Florence as a major center of renaissance art. Different from a standard Tarot Deck, the Minchiate is expanded and contains 41 Major Arcana cards rather than 22. There are 56 Minor Arcana (16 Court cards, and 40 Pips) , making a total of 97 cards in the deck. The extra cards are the virtues (Prudence, Faith, Hope, and Charity), the zodiac signs, and the four elements. The Pips consist of 4 sets of 14 cards for each suit: Swords, Batons, Coins, and Cups. the numbers go from 1 to 10 with with Jack (or infantry woman) Horse, King, and Queen. Interestingly, the horse cards in this deck are hybrid figures - half man and half horse of other figure. This listing for for a Il Meneghello limited 2022 edition of 2,000. These beautiful cards are handmade and have an elegant old world unvarnished / matt look and feel with square corners. The decks come packaged in a sturdy 2 part box with the Papa cinque L'amore card affixed on the top with the makers wax seal. The decks are sealed and the user will receive a title card with the limited edition number inside the box. Specs Name: Minchiate Fiorentine 1850 Publisher: il Meneghello limited 2022 edition of 2,000 Deck Type: Tarot Deck Cards: 97 in a matt finish - square corners Card Dimensions cm. 9.5 x 5.5 Deck Tradition: Minchiate Card Back: Reversible
