Marseille Tarot Professional Edition

Author: Anna Maria Marucci
Artist: Matteo Ottolini
78 cards, book in English
Card size: 100 x 182 mm

Tradition: Marseille
Category: Marseille, historical reproduction

The name Marseille Tarot does not refer to any particular deck of cards, but rather to a model, a type of divination system. At the end of the 17th century it was precisely this type of card, with rare exceptions (such as the neoclassical version from Lombardy), that was the most widespread in Europe.
As occultists and members of Masonic orders became interested 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 logical that the name "Marseille Tarot" became synonymous with the quality and typology of cards of this kind of divination.
Today the Marseille Tarot, wherever it is made, be it France or Italy, is used both for playing the game and for divination.