Ancient Italian Tarot

Tarot came of age in Italy — and this deck captures that moment with remarkable fidelity. The Ancient Italian Tarot, reinvented by an anonymous artist in the classic Marseilles tradition, exemplifies 19th-century Italian artistry at its finest: detailed, deeply symbolic, and richly colored in vibrant greens, muted reds, and vivid golds.

This is a Marseilles-style deck, which means the pip cards are non-scenic — a reading style that rewards intuition and pattern recognition over illustrated narrative. For readers curious about how tarot was actually used before the Rider-Waite revolution, this deck is an essential reference point.

The companion booklet is included in five languages, making it accessible to a wide range of readers and collectors.

Why We Picked It

Understanding where tarot comes from makes you a better reader. The Ancient Italian Tarot connects you to the long lineage of this practice before it became what we know today — and it does so through genuinely beautiful historical artwork.

Perfect For

History-minded readers, collectors building a foundational tarot library, and anyone curious about Marseilles-style reading traditions.

Deck Details

• 78 full-color tarot cards
• Classic Marseilles-style design with ornate Italian artistry
• Rich color palette: vibrant greens, muted reds & vivid golds
• Companion booklet in five languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian & German
• Published by Lo Scarabeo (September 2000)