Venetian Tarocchi Appropriati

kwaw

In "Commerce, Peace, and the Arts in Renaissance Venice: Ruzante and the Empire at Center Stage" published in May 2016 author Linda L. Carroll devotes a whole chapter mostly to an example of Venetian Tarocchi Appropriati I don't recall seeing before (though she herself does not make any reference to tarot or appropriati, that is what it appears to be).

"The third chapter analyzes an important Venetian literary manuscript of the period in the Bodleian Library of Oxford University whose copyist had remained unknown and whose contents have been little studied. The identity of the copyist, a central figure in the worlds of theatrical and historical and, now, literary writing in early sixteenth century Venice, is clarified and the works in the manuscript connected to the cultural worlds of Venice, Padua and Rome."

The 8th Capitolo “capitolo de alcune done famose di veneta” (fols 49r-53r), Canonical Ital. 36, Bodleian. c. 1520’s

From a collection of the Venetian Chronicler Stefano Magno (b.circa 1499 – d. 14 October 1572) :

(Trump titles in [brackets] mine, where it may not be clear from the description which card is being referred to, and assuming usual Venetian order.)

Isabeta Diedo – whose beauty flies through the world
Paola Venier – whose cheerful spirit lifts and whose insignia is impartial justice
Isabetta Barbarigo – with an angel signifying her goodness
Cecilia Dandolo – the fame of her beauty signified by the sun
Andriana Pesaro – her modesty, coldness and chastity denoted by the moon
Lucretia Venier – is wise and guided by her star along the path of virtue
Elena Zane – has an inner spark that will kindle conjugal love [Foco, Fire]
Maria Caravello – bear the devil on her crown as if to say “I am the enemy of the virtuous”
little Quirini – who is death to amorous leanings
Marieta Capello – who is hardened against frivolous love [Traditore, Traitor]
Lucieta Soranza – who shows that time ruins beauty [Tempo, Time (Hermit)]
Marina Emo – as the wheel turns on its axis, she exemplifies how the fair turn vile [Rota, Wheel of Fortune]
Fontana di Barozzi – Fortitude accompanies her apparently, as one able to face trials, her fortitude is not without troubles[Fortezza, Strength]
Bianca Grimani – the enemy of vice, who waged war on love with an arrow caught in her lap [Amore, Love]
Laureta Foscari – who has stolen beauty from others but is inhuman in love [Triumphal Chariot]
Maria Lion – has the nature of temperance, is neither merciful nor cruel, taking hold of the middle is the safest way [Temperance]
Maria da Leze – who is so devout she is with the pope
Isabeta Venier – who is so ardent and willing in love she almost keeps up with her partner, and saves others [Emperor]
Marieta Bibbiena – who because of her papessa believes herself to be to others as the sea is to a river
Hieronima Venier – has eternal honor and title of empress
Helena Zen – whose burning eyes inspires men who are followers of love [Bagatelle, Juggler]
Laura Cocco – who without any thought of honor fears not shame, she wears a dress of many colours and a hairband with a title inscribed Crazy. [Matto, Fool]

For details of this capitolo, and identification and relationships of some of these women, and the Caravello incident, see Commerce, Peace, and the Arts in Renaissance Venice by Linda L. Carroll:

“A review of the women described in the capitolo shows them to have been the wives of leading patricians of Magno’s day, with many of whom he had personal connections including through compagnie della calza, and many of whom had demonstrable or possible connections with Caravello incident..." [the tarring of leading citizens houses during Mardi Gras 1522, as an act of revenge on some people who refused an invitation to a party held by Marco Grimadi.]

On the manuscript Carroll writes:

“Containing a miscellany of literary works in Italian and Latin, chiefly poetry, the manuscript bears the rubric ‘Jesus 1520 Vene(tiis’ at the top of the recto and the verso of most folios....”

“....While the subject matter of works was eclectic, Magno’s arrangement of them was strictly by genre, with each section labeled. He included over one hundred sonnets... a pasquinade, two collections of inscriptions on medals, ballots and comment, commentary on the election of Adrian VI, 16 capitali, 17 canzoni, two eclogues, 12 madrigals, four frottole, a prose novella, a poem recited by five, another capitoli, an ottava, two love letters and 15 epitaphs.... Although he omitted the names of many of the authors, Alessandro de Mortara identified the sonnets as largely by Pietro Bembo, Giovanni Antonio Brocardo and Bernadino Daniello of Lucca; some of the capitoli by Bembo, Ludovico Ariosto, Andrea Navagero, Bernadinno Daniello, and Onofrio Veronese; most of the canzoni by Ariosto, Bembo, Brocardo, Girolamo Verite, Francesco Maria Molza and Daniell; and eleven of the madrigals as works of Daniello and one of Onofrio Veronese.... Dating of the works in the absence of external evidence is complicated by the fact that the date inscribed at the top of the folios is the one on which the manuscript was inaugurated (not the one on which a given folio had work entered onto it) and by the division into genre sections, to which works were apparently added separately on various dates.


Some of these women appear to be the same as appear in the well-known Pomeran appropriati, 1534:

Mondo (The World) = Andriana Cornera
Giustitia (Justice) = ‘La bella’ Barbarigo
Angelo (The Angel) = Isabella Grimani
Sole (The Sun) = Laureta Tron
Luna (The Moon) = Grazimana
Stella (The Star) = Isabetta Sanuto
Foco (Fire) = Bianca Contarini
Diauolo (The Devil) = Laura Bollani
Morte (Death) = Paula Capello
Traditore (The Traitor) = Mocenigo
Tempo (Time) = Maria Leone
Rota (The Wheel [of Fortune]) = Paola Mora
Fortezza (Fortitude) = Paula Querini
Amore (Love) = Orsina Foscholeta
Carro Triomphale (The Chariot) = Maria Lauredan
Temperanza (Temperance) = Bianca Zeno
Papa (The Pope) = ‘Famos’ Albertha
Imperatore (The Emperor) = Benedetta Pisani
Papessa (The Popess) = Marieta Zanni
Imperatrice (The Empress) = Paschalig
Bagattela (The Juggler) = Paula Valier
Matto (The Fool) = Nicolo Cornera

Pomeran da Cittadella, Troilo fl. Venice 1534
Triomphi de Troilo Pomeran da Cittadela composti sopra li Terrocchi in
Laude delle famose Gentil donne di Vinegia.
Venice, Giovanni Antonio dei Nicolini da Sabbio, 1534

Some of the Ladies attached to these cards (or at least, Ladies with the same names) were also used in the poem Temple of Love (Tempio di amore) by Niccolò Franco, published by Francesco Marcolini da Forlì the same year Franco moved to Venice in 1536. The following year he became secretary to Pietro Aretino. Not in this case associated with tarocchi however.

For example:

Andriana Cornaro
Isabetta Barbarico
Isabella Grimani
Laura Tron
Gracimana Giani
Bianca Contarini
Isabetta Mocenico
Paula Moro
Paula Quirini
Orsa Foscolo
Maria Lauredana
Marina Alberti
Maria Giane (Zane?)

See Carte da gioco e letteratura tra Quattrocento e Ottocento (1997) by Lucia Nadin Bassan, p.91-98