Marseille Tarot — Tarot of Marseille

Author: C. Burdel (Schaffhouse — 1751), Pietro Alligo
Artist: C. Burdel (Claude Burdel)
78 cards + guidebook in English
Card size: 6.6 x 12 cm

Tradition: Marseille
Category: Marseille, historical reproduction

The name Marseille Tarot does not refer to any one specific deck of cards, but rather to a pattern, a type of divination system. At the end of the 17th century, this type of card, with rare exceptions (such as the neoclassical version from Lombardy), was the most widespread in Europe.
As occultists and members of Masonic orders took an interest in Tarot, the symbolism of the Marseille Tarot was somewhat modified and took on a divinatory meaning. A major role in this was played by the fact that the largest card-making companies were concentrated in Marseille. These firms flourished because they produced Tarot of very high quality and were able to export it at extremely low prices that Italian manufacturers could not compete with. It is only natural that the name “Marseille Tarot” became a synonym for the quality and typology of cards of this divinatory type.
Today the Marseille Tarot, wherever it is made, whether in France or Italy, is used both for playing and for divination.