Debra
Ah, foolish, I had the impression that your analysis of imagery is focused on Marseille-type decks, not the Visconti predecessors.
http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=...uchet Medieval rock throwing machines&f=falseElsewhere these machines were terrifyingly accurate Albigensian 1211
It's definitely not a closed issue. I'm sorry if I gave that impression. Historical understanding changes every time a new piece of evidence is found. Theories often lead to evidence, although sometimes it's not the evidence one was hoping for.foolish said:this is not a closed issue. we can not adhere validity simply to numbers.
The largest community of Cathars in Northern Italy and the center of one branch of the faith was in the small town of Concorezzo, just north of Milan (in 1299 it was home to 1,500 Cathars). Concorezzo was only five miles from the Humiliati monastery where Maifreda (or Manfreda) Visconti da Pirovano was abbess. http://marygreer.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/papess-maifreda-visconti-of-the-guglielmites—new-evidence/foolish said:there is ample evidence of fugitives escaping to towns in northern italy, where they were protected by more tollerant groups, including perhaps some cathar communities which existed there. in addition, some of the cathars could have blended in with other "heretical" sects like the humiliati, spiritual francisicans, beguins etc. who remained in existence up through the time the tarot was being introduced.