Huck
The passage of Gallenga (posted above) shall demonstrate something:
Boiardo is called the most famous poet of 15th century, but Boiardo became not famous cause his Tarocchi poem. He became famous cause his engagement in the development of the Italian Orlando theme.
The Orlando theme development knew 4 major stations:
Luigi Pulci - Florence (most important work: his work on the Orlando-theme)
Matteo Maria Boiardo - Ferrara (most important work: his work on the Orlando-theme); called greatest poet of 15th century in Italy
Lodovico Ariost - Ferrara (most important work: his work on the Orlando-theme); called greatest poet of 16th century in Italy
Francesco Berni - Florence
It should jump into the eyes, that poets from Florence and Ferrara are involved .... the uniting common principle between Florence and Ferrara was, that both cities had friendly relations to France.
A Ferrarese ruler married a French king's daughter, the Florentian Medici gave two daughters as queens to France.
"Orlando" was a French theme.
And another contemporary French-Italian cooperation took place in the production of the Tarocchi cards.
Now we have a strange coincidence between Orlando-poets and the (Tarocchi) cards: all four mentioned poets also wrote about cards.
Pulci wrote a letter to Lorenzo de Medici (1466), in which the game of Minchiate is mentioned. He also used twice words in poems, which nobody else used (so naturally nobody knows, what they mean), words starting with "minch-" ..
Boiardo wrote the Tarocchi poem
Ariost wrote "Carte parlanti" and motifs of the Orlando theme appeared on Tarocchi cards
Berni wrote about card playing generally.
Although this coincidence might be just a result of "all 4 poets wrote much", so "they also ALSO wrote about playing cards", it somehow is likely, that other common factors helped to fulfill this "rule".
For instance belonging to a specific class of persons (poets), which had contact to the habits to the higher nobility, which had specific interest in French chivalry and ALSO enough money to have expensive playing cards.
Boiardo is called the most famous poet of 15th century, but Boiardo became not famous cause his Tarocchi poem. He became famous cause his engagement in the development of the Italian Orlando theme.
The Orlando theme development knew 4 major stations:
Luigi Pulci - Florence (most important work: his work on the Orlando-theme)
Matteo Maria Boiardo - Ferrara (most important work: his work on the Orlando-theme); called greatest poet of 15th century in Italy
Lodovico Ariost - Ferrara (most important work: his work on the Orlando-theme); called greatest poet of 16th century in Italy
Francesco Berni - Florence
It should jump into the eyes, that poets from Florence and Ferrara are involved .... the uniting common principle between Florence and Ferrara was, that both cities had friendly relations to France.
A Ferrarese ruler married a French king's daughter, the Florentian Medici gave two daughters as queens to France.
"Orlando" was a French theme.
And another contemporary French-Italian cooperation took place in the production of the Tarocchi cards.
Now we have a strange coincidence between Orlando-poets and the (Tarocchi) cards: all four mentioned poets also wrote about cards.
Pulci wrote a letter to Lorenzo de Medici (1466), in which the game of Minchiate is mentioned. He also used twice words in poems, which nobody else used (so naturally nobody knows, what they mean), words starting with "minch-" ..
Boiardo wrote the Tarocchi poem
Ariost wrote "Carte parlanti" and motifs of the Orlando theme appeared on Tarocchi cards
Berni wrote about card playing generally.
Although this coincidence might be just a result of "all 4 poets wrote much", so "they also ALSO wrote about playing cards", it somehow is likely, that other common factors helped to fulfill this "rule".
For instance belonging to a specific class of persons (poets), which had contact to the habits to the higher nobility, which had specific interest in French chivalry and ALSO enough money to have expensive playing cards.
