Minchiate Tarot
This page is dedicated to the Minchiate Tarot (also known as Germini or Gallerino), one of the oldest tarots in the world. There are documented entries of its existence in the 15th century, although it was in the 18th century when it reached its greatest popularity, representing 10% of the card exports from Florence. The Minchiate Tarot originated in Florence, Italy, but there are also decks produced later in other cities, such as Bologna, Rome, Genoa and Liguria.
The Tarot has been associated with occultism and magic since the late 18th century. Since then and until today, it has been used mainly as an esoteric tool, for cartomancy as an oracle, and to inquire into our emotions and unconscious. But long before that (15th century) the Tarot was known as a board game, with its own rules, and people could gather to pass the time, drink, play, laugh, share, and enjoy, and even place bets.
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One of the features that makes this type of Italian deck so special, is that it has 97 cards:
• 56 cards that correspond to the 4 seeds (or suits) of Cups, Clubs, Coins and Swords, (40 numerals and 16 court cards) known today as "Minor Arcana"
• 40 triumphs or "Major Arcana" and
• 1 fool.
The minchiate not only has "extra" cards, there are also missing cards, such as the Pope. Which are the extra cards?
• 7 virtues instead of 3: Temperance, Fortitude, Justice, Hope, Prudence, Faith and Charity.
• It also includes the 12 zodiac signs, and
• The 4 elements: Fire, Water, Earth and Air.
Who I am
My name is Amparo Aguirre, I am an anthropologist, producer and artist. In 2005 I inherited from my grandmother Erni Stegmann, a particular Italian Tarot deck called Minchiate Al Leone (original from the 18th century) that belonged to the di Girolamo family for more than 300 years. That is how I got to know this deck and began to research and fall more and more in love with the Minchiate Tarot.
In 2022, after years of research and study, I went to live in Italy, where I finished writing the book “Tarot Minchiate, the noblest and most beautiful of card games” (ISBN 978-956-414-175-6) and reproduced the Tarot Minchiate Al Leone di Girolamo deck.
In 2023, I went to live in Bomarzo, Italy, where I did an artistic residency in the studio of the artist Tommaso Cascella, in front of the Sacro Bosco. The fruit of this work was the Tarocchi Minchiate di Bomarzo deck, with its 97 cards hand-painted with watercolors by me. In 2024 I published it together with the second revised and enlarged edition of the book. (ISBN 978-956-420-488-8).
In my commitment to the dissemination of the Minchiate Tarot, since 2022 I have given interviews, conducted workshops, conferences and master classes in different online spaces, and also in person in the cities of Barcelona (Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Santiago, Valparaiso and Valdivia (Chile).
We want our Minchiate Tarot decks to travel around the world!
If you have a bookstore or a store and would like to be the point of sale of our products in your city, please write to us, we would love to know you and work with you. We have special prices for wholesale orders (over 5 units), and a great desire to travel the world. Fill out the form and we will contact you!
Greetings!