Visconti-Sforza
History
REVIEWED
HIGH
SEED_DATA
The oldest surviving tarot cards, painted in Milan c. 1440-1450 for the ruling Visconti and Sforza families.
At least 15 fragmentary hand-painted tarot decks survive from the courts of Milan. They established the 78-card structure: 56 suited cards (4 suits × 14) + 1 Fool + 21 trumps. Originally called 'trionfi' (triumphs), not 'tarocchi.' These were luxury objects for nobility, not mass-produced game cards.
Significance
The Visconti-Sforza decks prove that tarot originated as a courtly card game, not a divination or esoteric tool. Three and a half centuries separate these gaming cards from the first documented cartomantic use.