Wednesday, August 7, 2024

July 28, 2024: 1498 – Trionfi, books of the Tornabuoni

TORNABUONI.pdf. Comments in square brackets are mine, in consultation with Franco, for explanatory purposes.

1498 – Trionfi, books of the Tornabuoni

Franco Pratesi

1. Introduction

Continuing my research on the Magistracy of Minors collection prior to the Principality[fondo Magistrato dei Pupilli avanti il Principato] in the State Archives of Florence (ASFi), I have examined the manuscript of the Campione series of inventories and accounts, revised N. 181: Quarters Santa Maria Novella and San Giovanni 1495-1501 (part of the 15th Campione).

An inventory of some interest can be found in correspondence with the prestigious Tornabuoni family, certainly one of the oldest in Florence, if we consider that it was born simply with a "strategic" change of surname from the even older one of Tornaquinci (to avoid, as magnates, being ousted from high public office).

After a long presence at the top of the city, in the era in question they found themselves following the Medici themselves closely, including close family ties. In this case, not only the family is known but also the members themselves involved here, starting with the grandfather Giovanni Tornabuoni, who was Lorenzo the Magnificent's uncle and papal treasurer.

The marriage of Lorenzo di Giovanni in 1486 to Giovanna degli Albizzi marked an attempt to bring the two long-adversarial families closer together. This Giovanna was one of the most beautiful young Florentine women, painted several times in portraits and frescoes by Ghirlandaio and Botticelli. The Tornabuoni family was known for its patronage, and among other works, the famous Tornabuoni Chapel in Santa Maria Novella remains in evidence.

Lorenzo was born in Florence in 1465 to Giovanni and Francesca di Luca Pitti, and his closeness to the Medici was fatal to him: together with four other conspirators who intended to re-establish the hegemony of the Medici during the Savonarola republic (destined to end shortly after), he was condemned to death and beheaded in the Bargello Palace on 21 August 1497.

The specific case of the inventory in question concerns the inheritance left by Lorenzo di Giovanni to his ten-year-old sons Giovanni, born to his first wife Giovanna degli Albizzi (who died in childbirth at the age of twenty, at the end of her second pregnancy), and five-year-old Leonardo, three-year-old Francesca and one-year-old Giovanna, children of his second wife Ginevra Gianfigliazzi.

2. Saint Stefano in Pane

The inventories begin on c. 141r with that of 5 January 1498 relating to one of the villas that the family owned in the Florentine countryside, in this case, a villa purchased a few decades before in the parish of Santo Stefano in Pane, and in particular in "Chiasso a Macieregli." Chiasso Macerelli is a road that goes up from Rifredi to Careggi and in the twentieth century took the name of Via Taddeo Alderotti.

The Tornabuoni, in addition to their possessions in the area, long had the patronage of the pieve [main church of a group of parishes, ten or so constituting a diocese] of Santo Stefano in Pane, and three priests of the family were pieve priests in the 16th and 17th centuries (elsewhere, somewhat curiously, as many as four members of the family were bishops of Spoleto during the sixteenth century). This pieve has always had a particular importance in the area, which continued as it transformed from a country pieve into a suburban parish in Rifredi, until recently an important working-class neighborhood with many factories, starting with the Officine Galileo precisely in Chiasso Macerelli.

To get an idea of this long history, I think the brief description by Alberto Andreoni on the website of the same parish is sufficient. [note 1] Before industrialization, the area was especially famous for its country villas. The panorama of the time is difficult to imagine today, but the nearby and much more famous Villa di Careggi was similarly at the center of agricultural estates belonging to the Medici family for centuries and only recently habitually welcomed writers and philosophers. In connection with the
_____________________
1. https://www.pieverifredi.it/storia_arte.php

2
Villa Medici in Careggi, there were other villas of rich Florentines who, like the Tornabuoni, also gravitated culturally around the artistic and literary environment of the Medici.

Some information on the history of the villa in question, then Villa Lemmi, can also be found on Wikipedia, [note 2] and detailed information is collected in several books; note 3 to see some of the frescoes from Tornabuoni times involved here - found in the 19th century - you have to go to the Louvre.

Villa Tornabuoni Lemmi from Via Incontri (2024)

Church of Santo Stefano in Pane (2024)

The inventory of household goods in the villa (purchased in 1469) was compiled on 4 January 1498; I have reproduced the page in question and transcribed the elements of interest.
_______________
2. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Lemmi
3. For example: Villa Tornabuoni-Lemmi di Careggi. Rome 1988

ASFi, Magistracy of Minors prior to the Principality, 181, f. 141v (Reproduction prohibited)

In the bed-chamber of the section above said room

One piata [pietà] and one small tabernacle [Typically the container for consecrated hosts on the (church) altar, but could also be a setting for religious images at home]
1 wooden bed frame with walnut cornices and inlay, 4 arm-lengths with supports and cane
1 raw mattress [two sheets sewn together, with stuffing] in two pieces
1 side mattress with old wool
1 striped quilt [choltricie] vergata [?], good, of feathers
2 primacci [large pillows or small quilts] of said bed, weight s. 4
1 pair of used 4-piece sheets
1 thick quilt [coltrone] with cottonwool, good
1 white quilt [choltra] with more work, good
2 good bed pillows
1 set of curtains with hangings around [the bed] as a pavilion
1 covered small bed antique-style of walnut of about 5 arm-lengths with chappellinaio [“hatrack” on wall, thus suitable for various items of clothing]
1 side [?] mattress with green wool cloth [weaving?]
2 pillows, of tapestry and leather
1 pair of pillows for small bed
1 used Parisian-style blanket for small bed, used

1 large bed towel
2 chests with 4 fasteners around said bed and in the 1st
1 chalice with enameled silver cup
1 missal in form and 1 piece of press [iron or other pressing device]
1 silver and bone pacie [“peace” tablet kissed during the mass]
1 brocaded altar front with 2 cloths
1 chasuble [liturgical vestment], brocaded
1 embroidered red velvet surplice
1 stole of blue velvet, amice [liturgical garment worn at the neck], and brocaded manipola [or manipolo, strap around the wrist, descending one or two hand-lengths]
1 surplice, used, and 1 amice, used
1 small bell and 2 brass chandeliers
1 book of triumphs of Petrarch

At f. 144r, after the household goods, the land and house possessions in the area are listed and the second inventory relating to the other country property begins.

3. San Michele in Castello

Following is the inventory of the villa of the Brache located in the parish of Santo Michele in Castello, a place known as le brache, made on 6 January 1497 [1498 in the current system] by the hands of Bernardo Ughuccioni first and Francescho a Careggi.

If the Careggi area could be considered a countryside suitable for holidays, that of Castello, further away from the walls of Florence in the same direction, was perhaps even more so, and numerous villas built in the area over the centuries on the low slopes in the foothills of Monte Morello remain as evidence, among which the famous Medici Villas of Castello and Petraia excel.

As usual, the inventory of household goods refers only to the villa, where the Tornabuoni family holidayed.

ASFi, Magistracy of Minors prior to the Principality, 181, f. 145v. Detail (Reproduction prohibited)

In Giovanni's room

1 Our lady, painted in gesso
1 Saint Jerome painting
1. Simple bed frame attached to the small bed and chest and chappellinaio [“hatrack” on wall, also suitable to hang other clothing items]
1 raw mattress [?] of 2 pieces with sticks
1 rough fabric mattress with chapecchio [extra thickness at head end?]
2 rough fabric mattresses and 1 with blue fabric with wool
1 mattress of dense cotton or wool fabric full of cotton wool
1 primaccio [large pillow or small quilt] with Lombard filling
3 cotton heavy quilts [choltroni] used on said bed
1 rough fabric mattress with wool
1 Parisian-style quilt [choltre], used on said bed
1cottonwool quilt, used, for small bed
1 pillow of tapestry and leather used
1 platform pierced for invalids
1 chest with 2 fasteners, in antique style
1 simple panel of 3 arm-lengths with trestles
1 dining table at 4 feet by 2 arm-lengths and 1 window covering
1 used walnut table
2 books covered in red in form of Guido's [probably referring to Livy's] decades and petrarcha's trionfi
1 pair of andirons of l. 32
1 dustpan 1 pair of tongs and 1 fork

After the inventory of household goods, f. 146r briefly lists the farms, workers' houses, and cultivated land that the family-owned locally.

4. The big house

In a rather unusual order, starting from c. 146v, after the inventories of the household goods in the two Tornabuoni country houses, we find the last inventory of this kind, relating to the stately home of the city, the Palazzo Tornabuoni, which still exists near the Palazzo Strozzi, despite renovations repeated over the centuries and with massive reconstructions on the occasion of Florence as capital [of Italy].

A large house with its vaults and courtyard rooms and bedchambers and other homes and apartments located in the parish of Santo Branchazio of Florence and in via de beglisporti.

Two other houses are also listed, one adjacent, the other also nearby, in Via dei Ferravecchi. I have not seen the date of this inventory, but it cannot be far from the previous ones.

The inventory occupies eight pages written in two columns and therefore highlights the abundance of objects, as could be expected from the family's well-known wealth. Somewhat surprisingly, we find very few books listed. Of gaming objects we only find a chessboard; that there are no playing cards or triumphs present corresponds to the general situation, such that they are only recorded in extremely rare cases. Instead, some musical instruments appear.

In the ground floor room in the entrance hall: 1 viola with bow, 2 zufoli [early flutes or recorders?] to play, and 1 chessboard. a bone horn with works. In the chamber of the golden ceiling: 1 large harp for playing.

This inventory ends on f. 150r.

5. Comments and conclusion

The reason why I have reported this information does not directly concern playing cards or triumphs, but "only" the books of Francesco Petrarch's Trionfi. We are now at the end of the fifteenth century, and finding these books in the homes of ancient Florentine families cannot be a surprise. But there are some open questions about it.

6
An initial question is whether there could have been printed books or manuscripts. If it had been a list of new or very recently produced objects, the choice would plausibly go towards the press, but no one can certify that these books had not been preserved as they were in the family for decades. Incidentally, I don't know of a printed book that contains both the Deche and the Trionfi, but I don't have enough experience in this regard. Personally, however, I am inclined, at least in this case, towards a manuscript, also on the basis of the book's binding.

Perhaps more significant is trying to understand the relevance of these two books for the personages of the Tornabuoni family. We know from other sources that there was a rich library in the family. Here we can only glimpse something of the kind when we read that: "In the study of the country house of Santo Stefano in Pane, there are 30 volumes of Latin and Vernacular books, unfortunately not better identified.

Instead, the Trionfi have a unique and prominent role. An example is present in both villas, and it is as if it had taken the place of a book of the Gospels, or of Dante. Ultimately, it is this unexpected role that gives all the information particular importance.

Florence, 07.28.2024

July 24, 2024: 1480s - Triumphs in Florence and Pistoia

This is a translation of "Anni 1480 Trionfi a Firenze e Pistoia," which Franco posted at https://www.naibi.net/A/UBERTINO.pdf on July 24, 2024. Comments in square brackets are mine, in consultation with Franco, for clarification purposes.

1480s - Triumphs in Florence and Pistoia

Franco Pratesi

1. Introduction

I thought I had finished my research on the Magistracy of Minors prior to the Principality collection in the State Archives of Florence (ASFi) [Magistrato dei Pupilli avanti il Principato nell’Archivio di Stato di Firenze], but instead I . . . returned to the scene of the crime. In the specific sector of playing cards, it is understandable that the further we move forward in time, the more unlikely it is to find evidence of notable historical interest; however, I thought that other information could be found to complete the picture, even towards the end of the fifteenth century.

In this note I report on what was found in the following manuscript of the Campione series of inventories and revised accounts: No. 177 Quarters of Santa Maria Novella and San Giovanni, 1479-1484, 319 ff. (it is part of the 13th sample).

2. The Triumphs of a broker

In the volume examined we encounter a deck of triumphs in a much more modest than average environment, in the inheritance of a sensale [broker, but at that time mostly in agriculture and livestock]. The sensale in question is Tomaso di Toto, not otherwise known (at least to me). This is one of the smallest inheritances, left to his son Antonio, aged around nine, with an inventory recorded on 30 January 1483 starting from f. 259r.

The household goods are listed on a single card and a very small quantity of the usual linen and clothing fabrics appears. Unlike usual, a family home does not appear but these household goods are kept in the house and home of Agnolo di Rinieri del Pacie and were placed and designated in said house by command and order of the eight of the bailiffs of the city of Florence after motion [or request: istanza] by creditors and passed under the care and custody of our office of minors and their judgment.

I copy and transcribe the part of interest.

ASFi, Magistracy of Minors prior to the Principality, 177, f. 259v. Detail (Reproduction prohibited)

1 small basket from/of Prato
1 crucifix as a shrine set in gold
2 cargo boxes
1 bolted table
4 pairs of molds for casting
2 skin shaving knives
1 merchandise case inside
1 lute to play
1 wooden bed with its cases around
1 raw bed mattress [just two sheets sewn together and filled with wool or other material]
1 our lady picture, round [tondo]
1 brass oil lamp
1 brass bucket
1 Saint Jerome and 1 majolica jar
1 towel around our lady
1 child’s bed and hat rack
2 leather pillows
1 small mattress and 3 bed pillows
1 Moorish-style carpet
2 chests 1 empty and 1 with inside various books and contracts
1 lantern
1 cup of tin and 1 of brass
1 pair of triumphs [paio di trionfi]
1 bunch of white wax candles of 4 lb.
1 Messer Domenecho [?]
1 French-style canvas cloth with figures
1 pictured linen piece of villa are villa things and for feet [?]
1 bench for the table and 1 small saw
1 tub and 2 chandeliers
1 large chair and 3 small chairs
2 chandeliers with 2 brass oil lamps

Despite the modesty of the whole, some objects can be noted that indicate a certain refinement, which makes the presence of a deck of triumphs not too extraordinary, although rather unexpected in such an environment.

But perhaps a deck of triumphs could also have proved useful during some country negotiations: between hesitant sellers and buyers, why wouldn’t the mediator have been able to propose a relaxing game of triumphs and then seal the sale or exchange pact of livestock with an always welcome jug of good wine? Obviously, even just to imagine such a scene one must have been vaccinated against the various triumphologies, always alive and well, both around the ducal courts and among the professors of divinatory sciences.

It is not clear what condition that deck of triumphs was in, but it can be considered as one of the few things present beyond the bare minimum, which is enough to indicate to us that that deck could no longer be an object of value, even assuming a significant - but unlikely - value when new.

3. Commentaries on the Triumphs of Ubertino from Pistoia

In the same inventory book, starting from c. 296r, we find another of some interest, which occupies six pages written in two columns. The inheritance is that of Ubertino di ser Atto di Giovanni Gherardi in Pistoia, for his children Lucrezia aged 17, Giovanni aged 12, and Giuliano aged 9, with guardianship by the magistracy of minors accepted on 15 December 1484. The family is one of the most noted of Pistoia, the

3
heirs' grandfather was a man of the law, a notary at least. The house, also judging by the above-average quality and quantity of household goods, is decidedly elegant; after the list of household goods, the real estate consisting of the house, two shops, and several farms and vineyards are listed.

I limit myself to copying and transcribing the part of specific interest.

ASFi, Magistracy of Minors prior to the Principality, 177, f. 298r. Detail (Reproduction prohibited)

In Ubertino’s study
…
1 Vergil In vernacular In form wooden board covered with green-purple leather
1 Juvenal In form wooden board covered with purple leather
1* the third decade [the work was divided into ten books] by Titus Livy in vernacular with wooden board covered with green leather with arms of Gerardi with cholonegli [perhaps colonnelli, small columns in the arms]
1 book In quarto folio paper with wooden board covered with white leather, in the vernacular of the creation of the world
1 book In vernacular on the Immortality of the soul, in form wooden board covered with yellow leather with four buckles
1 book upon triumphs of pretarcha, wooden board covered with green leather with 2 buckles in form [libro sopra trionfi del pretarcha cho asse chovertato di quoio verde chon 2 serrami in forma]
1 The same in form wooden board covered with purple leather

1 clock
1 ceramic inkwell with a silver seal to the sign of Partini [family arms?]
1 pair of large scissors
1 pound weight with a small box of worked cypress
1 purple leather money-bag
1 studded case with batachi [knockers?] said things
3 wooden bowls for keeping money [danali = danari]
2 grosoni of Milan of S. 26 d. 8 the one
2 papal carlini [unit of money]

1 royal carlino
4 old grossi
1 grosetto of Bologna
1 cuirass [choraza]

This was a more surprising discovery for me than usual; indeed, it can be said to be surprising for at least three reasons. A first surprise was to find Petrarch's Trionfi in an out-of-the-ordinary place: we are in Pistoia and not in a palace in the center of Florence. The second surprise was even greater: we are not simply talking about the Trionfi but about a book "upon" them. I wondered if it could be a printed book or manuscript and taking into account how it had been bound, I was convinced that it was a manuscript containing both the Trionfi and the added commentary. I just thought that to be listed like this, the commentary had to be something more than short notes on the side or bottom of the page. Then I realized that it was an incunabulum already known to scholars.

A third, subsequent surprise is that the name of this completely unknown to me Ubertino was in reality easily traceable with Google Books: by clicking on his name, with patronymic and location, perhaps a dozen studies appear which, coincidentally, are based precisely on the inventory I've been looking at lately. It seems that scholars have found great interest in his books, and in more than one direction, too.

One strand concerns children's literature: a children's book is also indicated in the inventory, and comments on this presence are today repeated by many pedagogical experts, from one book to another. Another trend concerns incunabula and the history of printing, and this book with a commentary on the Trionfi seems to have been recognized as having a certain interest also for bibliology. For now, I have not seen any authors specifically interested in this commentary on the Triumphs in the context of Petrarchan studies.

The foregoing was a great relief for my laziness: now I have no need to talk about this Ubertino, nor about the importance of these books of his. Those interested simply need to make the best use of the indications of Google Books, and perhaps other digital assistants, in order to collect information in the individual sector of their interest.

Florence, 07.24.2024

July 21, 2024: Poppiano 1523 - Rather arcane triumphs

The translation here is of "Poppiano 1523 – Trionfi piuttosto arcani," posted July 21, 2024 at https://www.naibi.net/A/RIDOLFI.pdf. Notes inside square brackets are mine, in consultation with Franco.

This note documents a "paio" of "XX" painted "triomphi" in a well-off Florentine family. The issues are first, what these "triomphi" are, and second, how the terms of the description are to be understood - notably "triomphi," "XX" and "paio". Franco understands "paio" as, in Italian, "mazzo," which in English would be "deck" or "pack," perhaps including, he tells me in discussion, a partial deck. For myself, I am not convinced. I base this hesitancy on the entry for "paio" in the Grande Dizionario de la Lingua Italiana {GDLI), in which its fourth definition includes a quotation from an old Treccani dictionary where the word is applied to chess: https://www.gdli.it/pdf_viewer/Scripts/ ... arola=paio. However, Franco has a lot more experience with old Italian in this particular context than I do. This issue is not important for understanding what the "triomphi" in question are in this case, but only for what "paio" means in other cases of "triomphi" or similar: are they always playing cards? This is something that came up as well in an earlier note, March 16, 2024: Florence 1478 and 1479: Petrarch's Triumphs in Private Homes (with May 3 Addendum, for which search "paio" in that blog post.

Poppiano 1523 – Rather arcane triumphs

Franco Pratesi

1. Introduction

I recently have continued my study on the archive collection Magistracy of Minors before the Principality in the State Archives of Florence (ASFi). I had already made an incursion into the final part where it enters the sixteenth century; this had happened because I was looking in the well-known inventory of the Rosselli workshop for confirmation of the triumphs that I had found coming from a few decades earlier. [note 1] Unfortunately, I had not yet understood that those forms for printing images of Petrarch's triumphs referred to figures of larger dimensions and could not be considered in direct relation with the playing card triumphs.

One fact that is clear to me, however, is that the transition from 1499 to 1500 cannot correspond to a clear boundary between two different periods. For us, it remains convenient to divide the years into centuries, or then, in the case under examination of the Magistracies of Minors, into the series prior to the Principality [i.e. the Grand Duchy] and then that of the Principality. However, the differences that can be expected, also for the cases of our interest, are rather long-term, as they concern customs that transformed rather slowly.

What do I then expect by continuing to search for “our” objects in the following century? Certainly, if before it was rare to come across packs of naibi, now they would have become true antiques, preserved only if forgotten, in some chest of a building with many rooms, and perhaps in the rare case that they were artistic works of excellence. The same end is now beginning to be glimpsed also for the playing cards of subsequent production, and even for the "new" triumphs and minchiate, which in fact were truly new objects only for the grandparents.

In short, we shouldn't be surprised if, from a series of 887 inventory folios, I can only describe one deck of triumphs here. Reading the numerous books published on tarot today, it is common to come across the noun arcano, which has come to be used to clarify ideas about it, or confuse them. I even included it in the title, but only as an adjective, in the sense of enigmatic, mysterious, and this exclusively because of one detail, which fortunately doesn't seem to have anything esoteric about it.

2. The material examined

The archival unit examined in the collection indicated is the file immediately preceding 190, in which the Rosselli inventory is preserved.[note 2] As usual, the fact that I discuss only one finding does not mean that this is really the only example in the whole series; there may be others that have escaped my examination, but there cannot be many others, also because the date is now far from the one in which naibi and triumphs were sometimes produced as valuable objects.

In these inventories, I also researched chessboards and game-boards, [note 3] and I can mention that also in that case, moving forward into the sixteenth century, these objects, and especially chess sets, are now expected to be encountered only as exceptions, now exclusively in stately homes, or almost so.

As for playing cards, even in the fifteenth century, they were rarely found, and we can be satisfied if evidence of them can be found in these almost one thousand sixteenth-century documents. Also making the registration of playing cards unlikely is the area of origin of the inheritances: in the ASFi inventory, it is indicated that the file contains documents from Florence, but in fact most of the inventories of household goods present here concern people in Florentine territory, but not of the city center. Thus, in peasant huts it will be useless to look for game objects together with the very few clothing and work objects. Possibly, in the countryside they will be found in some "gentleman’s house" where the owners of the land used to spend part of the summer.

The inheritance in question is a rare example among these inventories of a prestigious family with a stately home in the center of Florence and a gentleman’s house in the Poppiano countryside (the family's territory of origin, in the Val di Pesa between San Casciano and Montespertoli), and this is reflected in a wealth of
________________
1. https://www.naibi.net/A/TRIOPETR.pdf
2. ASFi, Magistrato dei Pupilli avanti il Principato, N. 189. Filza d’inventari di Firenze, 1508-1532.
3. https://www.naibi.net/b/TAVOLIERI.pdf

2
entries that is extraordinarily above the average. Usually, an inventory of household goods in a country house takes up a single page or at most two pages, while in this case, we read 45 pages of inventory.

The deceased is Francesco di Giovanni Ridolfi, with a home in Via Maggio in the parish of San Felice in Piazza [in Florence]; therefore, it was the branch of the Ridolfi di Piazza, later more important than the other two branches in the city, the Ridolfi di Ponte and the Ridolfi di Borgo. The widow is Mona Alexandra of Antonio Ristori, pregnant, with sons Francescho, 2 years old, and Lorenzo, 10 months old.

It is easy to find information on the history of this large family. [note 4] Many Ristori di Piazza had gone from being merchants to becoming important politicians (and it would be so in the following centuries); in the most turbulent periods, they had mixed fortunes but often found themselves at the top of the city administration. The large city house and the country house that we encounter in the documents are the two main headquarters of the historic family, which had its origins in the fortified town of Poppiano.

I intend to transcribe in full only the goods found in the room with the object of our interest, but I list all the items in the inventory that indicate the individual rooms of the city palace and the country palace.

3. The inventory

First, on 28 August 1523, what was found in the palace in Via Maggio was listed, room after room.

Florence, Casa Ridolfi, Via Maggio 43 (2024)

______________

4. E.g., M. Vannucci, Le grandi famiglie di Firenze. Rome 1983 (2006 reprint), on pp. 381-387.

3

In the vault.[note 5]
In the ground floor room of the entrance hall that goes to the oven
In the room next to the oven and in the vault
In the stable below [note 6]
In the first stable
In the ground floor room next to the loggia
In the small bedchamber or soffitta [“attic” room, with low ceiling] at the mezzanine level [ameza schala - at the middle floor; counting from the ground floor as number one, it is the second floor in the photo] [note 7]
In the antechamber of the soffitta
In the necessary [note 8]
In the room of Lorenzo, uncle of said Antonio or of Mona Bice
In the hallway that descends
In the entrance hall
In the room behind the entrance hall where Mona Bice was
In the study in said room
In the antechamber beyond the study which comes out behind in a small veranda [note 9]
In the soffitta [“attic” room] above the antechamber and study
In the great room
In the bedchamber in the room, above
In the soffitta [“attic” room] above the main room
In the large upstairs room
In the room above the kitchen
In the maidservant's room [note 10]
In the kitchen
In the room where the oil is kept

Understandably, the entries above correspond to very different spaces in the inventory, where many of the items listed are items found in chests and strongboxes, present only in the main rooms.

Family coat of arms - on the facade of the Casa Ridolfi in Via Maggio (2024)
(The local sandstone had resisted for centuries, but had to succumb to acid rain)

____________
5. Volta. Wine-cellar (with six barrels).
6. Here a dark-haired mule; in the next one a bad barrel.
7. In addition to the attic rooms on the top floor, the rooms on the mezzanine, under the main floor, are called attic rooms.
8. Necessario. The toilet. In general, you will not find bathroom furniture there, but possibly objects and utensils stored in bulk. In this case: a pair of bad trestles.
9. The presence here of a chessboard is notable, also because I haven't seen any others in the whole series, nor even game-boards." Perhaps at the time it was really a legacy reserved only for the families of the highest classes.
10. Mostly used as a storage room or stockroom.

4
Following on August 31 - September 1, 1523, from c. 235v onwards, the inventory of goods found in the house of Poppiano, parish of San Biagio, precinct [podesteria] of Montespertoli, vicariate of Certaldo. It should be noted that, in addition to this manorial house, the family preserved several farmhouses, farms, and vineyards in the area of its origin, with plots that descended to the Virginio stream.

Cellar
(In the second room In the third room In the vault In the stockroom In the room next to the vault)
In the kitchen
In the great room
In the first bedchamber on the hall
In the antechamber
In the necessary
In the second bedchamber on the hall
In the tower room of the entrance hall
In the necessary in said room
In the storeroom
In the room facing the western meadow (details later!)
In the hallway where the house is entered and into the room
In the first room upstairs
In the second room upstairs
In the third room, servants’ bedchamber
In the fourth room or granary
In the old room
In the parlor on the ground floor
In the armoire [note 11] where we go above the hall
Item out of the house
Wheat in the holes [note 12] outside the house
Things and household goods outside the house [note 13]

Poppiano (panorama from Montespertoli, top left, with the Guicciardini Castle, 2024)

_____________
11. Armario. When we find an armoire at the time, it is not a wardrobe as for modern use, but a piece of furniture in which weapons, various tools, or even everyday objects were kept.
12. Buche. A kind of cisterns next to the farmers' houses with the owners' share of grain.
13. In particular, fabrics being processed at convents or with artisans and precious objects in storage by the father-in-law.

5
At this point we can focus on the details of the room and the cases. Especially bed linen and clothing items were stored in the chests [casse], and as a rule there were several of them, placed against the walls, perhaps with headboards, or directly against the bed.

In the room facing the western meadow
One white wooden bed with walnut veneered chests of 4 ½ arm-lengths
One bad mattress in said bed full of fur
2 quilts [coltrice] for said bed full of feathers
with plumes not good of 270 pounds
One sparrowhawk [note 14] of linen in said bed
In the chests []capse] around the bed within which [note 15] were these things, that is, in the first place
Four women's shirts with fittings, ready to be sewed
26 thin handkerchiefs in one thread
2 arm lengths of Rensa [note 16]
One pillowcase within which
One white silk net to tie
One becha [note 17] with striped train
One small box of one arm-length within which
One small bag and a pair [paio] of paternosters [note 18]
One pair [paio] of shoes
One tusk with silver rings
One pair [paio] of man's knives with silver ferrule fork everything provided
One pair [piao] of knives with mother-of-pearl handles
Silver fork and velvet sheath supplied in silver for women
One box inside which
More lace and ribbons and other zachere [note 19]

In the second chest [capsa]
Six small and two large knives
8 used women's shirts
3 men's shirts
One pair [paio] of linen sleeves
3 ruffs [note 20] and a woman's apron
One red velvet collar
One collar of red satin
6 large hand towels between large and small
Two pieces of red taffeta to make pillows
One purse with a silver-filled dagger
One box two-thirds of one arm-length within which
One man's netting
5 women's silk nets of various types and various other zachere, beche, mazochi [note 21] and otherwise

_________________
14. Sparviere, Sparrowhawk. In the Renaissance, name for quadrangular bed canopies, so called because they were equipped with curtains having the appearance of a sparrowhawk with open wings (Treccani).
15. Drentovi, that is, within which. The list of contents begins at the next entry, but it is not always obvious where it ends.
16. Rensa. White linen fabric, of very fine grain, also called canvas, used for fine linens and also in the first oil paintings on canvas (Treccani).
17. Beca. Or bécca, silk scarf, which once upon a time (especially in Venice in the 16th century) ecclesiastics, magistrates and university professors wore over their shoulders. (Treccani)
18. Paternostro. Rosary
19. Zachere. From Zacchera, Bagattella, trifle, little thing of little importance, insignificant (Treccani).
20. Gorgierie. Frenchism; properly indicates what covers the throat, the neck (Treccani).
21. Mazzocchio. Part of the hood, consisting of a circle of wool or silk waste covered with cloth, which wrapped the head (GDLI).

6

One box with several zachere [trifles] and used handkerchiefs

In the chests [casse] at the foot of the bed, within which
40 pounds of accia [thread] [note 22] for panata [note 23] of linen
28 pounds of thread in skeins of linen, tow, and other more valuable pieces
Two antique-style chests [casse] within which
One new rough canvas of 100 arm-lengths of broad sheet cloth weighing 55 lbs.
One tablecloth at the bottom of one of said chests [casse]
Four narrow tablecloths of various types
XII used napkins
Two used napkins
Two straps and four used canvases
One large tablecloth [note 24] of 6 arm-lengths approx.
One Perugia-style [note 25] tablecloth, 7 arm-lengths wide
26 pounds of accia in skeins of tow
Two bunches [mazi] of linacciuolo [some type of linen? - just a guess] weighing 2 ½ pounds

In the other chest [capsa], within which
More bound books of stories [historie] and in the vernacular and books of household accounts, that is
Seven books between great and small and other old contracts
Flat shoes of Antonio and Alexandra, his wife, X pairs [paia], used and new
One pair of triumphs of the XX, historiated and put with gold [Un paio di triomphi del XX historiati et con oro messi] [note 26]
16 tin soup plates
7 small tin soup plates
Two tin platters and 7 half-sized plates for cutting, weighing 45 pounds
One small flute [or flageolet] to play [note 27]
One chest [cassone] of about 3 arm-lengths within which
One large carpet of 6 arm-lengths
8 pounds of thread [accia]
One small bag within which
Two pounds of satile [note 28] thread
One small bag within which
6 arm-lengths of green cloth
3 sheets cut in X lengths of 7 arm-lengths or longer
One white quilt [coltre] in the manner of almonds [note 29]
Another quilt [colre] in the manner of almonds
One white quilt [coltre] with buttons, broken
Two pairs [paia] of used sheets
Another chest [cassone] of 3 arm-lengths within which, that is
One white thick quilt [coltrone] full of cotton wool
One white quilt [coltre] in the almond style [see n. 29]
Another blanket [coltre] of tablecloth
8 good large sheets

____________
22. Accia: Raw and skeined thread, made of linen, hemp, etc. (Treccani).
23. Pannata. Gown (GDLI).
24. Mantile. Mostly ordinary, cheap, commonly used, everyday tablecloth (GDLI).
25. Usually the cities of origin of the fashions are otherwise: Paris, Naples, Milan, Venice.
26. This is the entry that justified the whole description, to be discussed separately.
27. After the triumphs, it can be considered the second intruder among the various objects.
28. Satile=Sottile: thin.
29. A mandorle. Almond-shaped. Knitting with almond-shape design, which can be full-almond or empty-almond, depending on whether the links form a solid or empty rhomboid shape (Treccani).

7

Two large fine linen [Rensa] tablecloths
Six tablecloths without tassels, about 6 arm-lengths long, used
Four tablecloths.
Two straps
One bedsheet of 4 cloths of 6 arms-length of tow
One piece of linen cloth weighing 15 pounds, 35 yards or more
One and a half pounds of thin thread
17 used napkins
One pair [paio] of pillows with netted pillowcases
One our Lady [note 30]
One sword
One hatrack with 6 rods 6 arms-length long

______________
30. The painting of the Madonna that cannot be missing in the rooms of the time.

ASFi, Magistracy of Minors prior to the Principality, 189 c. 240v, detail (Reproduction prohibited)

8
4. The triumphs

Here we finally arrive at the key point, the triumphs. We must try to better understand what can be indicated more precisely in the entry, which at first sight appears rather enigmatic: Un paio di triomphi del XX historiati et con oro messi [One pair of trionfi of the XX, historiated and put with gold]. If we were to "translate" the lexicon into more recent Italian we would read: Un mazzo di trionfi del 20 istoriati e messi a (oppure in o con) oro [One deck of triumphs of the 20, historiated and put to (or with or in) gold]. Let's look point by point.

A deck of triumphs only creates problems for us if we want to understand why it is there, how long it has been there, what it was used for, and what it could have been used for - but the indication of "a pair of triumphs" is already sufficient to describe the object uniquely. In this case, it could not have been a book of the Triumphs of Francesco Petrarca, neither printed nor manuscript, nor even larger prints such as those produced in the Rosselli workshop. The term “of the 20” had never been seen before and requires further discussion.

“Historiated” [with a story, not “with a history”] is more than plausible: they are triumphs illustrated with images that have their own meaning, which can be read and interpreted in some way - or rather in multiple ways, as they still do today. “Put in gold” also does not create any problems for us, since, with a little imagination, we can immediately compare them with the triumphs that came to us from the great ducal courts of Milan and Ferrara. The Florentine gold-beaters had been active for centuries. and their precious thin sheets had been used extensively, even centuries before, starting from the backgrounds of the panels of crucifixes, Madonnas and saints on wood.

In the end, to understand what object it is precisely, only the “20” remains. There seems to be no doubt that it is precisely 20. It is true that this 20 is actually read as XX, but one certainly cannot think at the time of the ecs being used as a sign of the unknown! In short, it is not possible to read triumphs made by an artist who would have been indicated XX because they no longer knew the name. It so happens that in the line above we read another X, with the very predictable meaning of 10. So XX are 20, and that's all.

At this point, I leave it up to each reader to find the explanation that most convinces him of this number. It may be that more than one will be suggested; it may be that, unusually, all experts agree on one. As far as I'm concerned, I would have found an explanation that at least convinces me, which is no small thing.

Here's how I read the inventory entry: we found a deck of triumphs that have unusual characteristics: they are illuminated and have a gold background and decorations; they are valuable, but they are not our minchiate decks with 40/41 tarocchi in addition to the 56 cards of the four suits. This is a deck with 20 tarocchi, that is, one that is now used (and referred to as tarocchi for the entire deck) far from here. Well. You might tell me that the hypothesis doesn't hold up because then the 20 should have been a 22, or at least a 21 without considering the Fool. It doesn't bother me; this is why I invited each reader to find the explanation that convinced them the most.

Once convinced, sooner or later, of an explanation of the deck, it remains to understand its history and destiny as much as possible, which is no less challenging. In my opinion, the destiny is to remain closed in its "capsa" [chest], because it is too beautiful and prestigious to be destroyed, but at the same time useless to play with because no one would have used it as such in Florentine territory, where tradition was now to play minchiate.

However, it remains very difficult, if not impossible, to propose definitive hypotheses regarding the past history of the deck, above all because here its production date remains undefined, when even a single decade more or less could greatly change its value as evidence.

The only certain point is that the Ridolfi di Piazza were an important family, one of the main ones in the city, but they certainly did not belong to the category of the dukes of northern Italy who are known to us as owners of similar decks. In short, if in Northern Italy (including Rimini) the triumphs of luxury were exclusive objects, present only in the hands of the lords of the cities, in Florence, they could be part of the trousseau of many high-class families. At the same time, it will not have been difficult for all interested Florentines to obtain less expensive versions.

Florence, 07.21.2024

July 18, 2024: Various Card Games

The present translation "Diversi Giochi di Carte," posted July 18, 2024. Notes in square brackets - plentiful here - are mine, in consultation with Franco, for clarification purposes. Single-digit numbers by themselves in the left margin are the page numbers of the corresponding pdf, with footnotes numbers highlighted in red, with the notes at the bottom of the pdf page.

The subject-matter is card tricks, the fourth of recent notes on that topic.

Various Card Games

Franco Pratesi

1. Introduction

I recently reported and discussed three books entirely dedicated to magic tricks - with a notable part reserved for those played with playing cards - preserved in the National Central Library of Florence (BNCF). [note 1] During the same research in the very old collections of the BNCF I came across another work of this kind, which, however, only consists of a file within a manuscript of various subjects, described as follows in the Inventories of Mazzatinti.

II — 190. (Nelli, 190 [ 243 ]).
Miscellaneous. — Discourse on the trading of Bro [Fra] Cesario Mantaccini. — Discourse on the Painting of Giulio Mancini. — Speech by Alamanno Viviani. — Treatise on politics, adsp. — Treatise on "how one can speak and write commendably as a private individual." — Treatise by Ferroni on the teaching of mathematics. — Letter on the choice of Ministers of civil judiciary. — «Popular instruction on the method of studying Jurisprudence». — Apology on a sonnet. — Academic speeches. — « Various compositions by Iacopo Micalori of Urbino «: some are minutes from his letters. Various letters are addressed to him. — «Several card games». 16th century and following, in fol. Leg. cs [note 2]

Despite the fact that it is only a sixteen-page issue, two of which are blank, the date seems ancient enough to make these games also of a certain historical interest. I will take advantage of the fact that these are just a few games to transcribe the text in a much greater quantity than in the previous cases.

2. Transcription of the text

In the transcription, I allowed myself some liberties, especially with regard to accents, punctuation, and capitalization.

Various Card Games and other
Various card games

Take a pack of low cards [i.e,. the 52-card deck], and cut them a little below and above with the shears, except one card, ensuring that it is a figure [court card], which, without cutting, will be the master.

1. To play the game of divining whether or not one has put the Card previously removed into the deck by smelling the deck of cards.
You take the card called the master because it is longer than the others, and give it, taking it together with making a fan [note 3] of the deck in such a way when presenting it, one cannot help but take said master, [note 4] who, having taken it, tell him that look at it, and by giving him the whole deck together, he will be able to go with it to a place so that he cannot be observed by anyone, and then, whether he wants to place the said Card which he has taken from the deck or not, he can then do so. By giving me said deck of cards I will be able to tell by smelling said deck whether or not he has placed said card in said deck. Which you can immediately know when he gives me the deck by feeling if said master is there, immediately making sure to smell said deck before answering. If you feel that said master

______________
1. https://www.naibi.net/A/MAGIA.pdf
https://www.naibi.net/A/TARGIONI.pdf
https://www.naibi.net/A/STECCHI.pdf
2. https://archive.org/details/InventariDe ... 6/mode/1up
3. Rosta: square [?] or differently shaped fan with wooden, bone or ivory handle. (Treccani)
4. The corresponding technical term is forzare, to force.

2

is not in the deck, you reply that it is not there, and you return to give him the deck; if you then feel that the said master is there, then you reply that the card that he has drawn he has placed in the deck, and said master is drawn without moving the deck, by asking him which card he has taken and then said master card is revealed, and the game will be over.

2. Game of having a card taken from the deck and then putting it back in the deck, and after shuffling, finding it again.
You take the deck of cards, and spread them out in your hand like a fan [rosta], telling a person to take a card and look at it, and then have it returned, by placing it under the master, and shuffle the cards a little. Once this is done, feel where the master is, and take the card from underneath it and show it to him, that it will be the same one that he took; and the game will be done.

BNCF, Fondo Nazionale, II.—.190. From the last group (Reproduction prohibited)

3. Game of having a card taken from the deck, and afterward shuffling, removing three, placing them face down on the table like this ▌▌▌ and asking him [the one who took the card] which of the three cards already placed on the table he wants the card removed to be, making it be the one he will say.

Having shuffled the cards, you will tell someone to take a card from the deck and look at it, then telling him to place it inside the deck, where for this purpose you will cut the cards, so that he places it under the master, and then you will go on shuffling the deck lightly, and deftly feeling it to find the master, you will take the card under said master, and place it under the deck, which will be the one he has drawn; and then take out another one, and place it under that one, and showing it with the whole deck closed [i.e. in one piece face down, except for showing him the one card], you will ask him if that is the card he took out, and he will answer no, and then with dexterity you will take out the second one placed first under the master, which will be the one he took out, and you will place it in the middle of two other open cards [taken out of the deck one at a time face down] on the table and then you will ask the person who took the card out of the deck in which of those three cards placed on the table he wants the card he removed to be, and saying in the middle, as he would most likely respond, having seen that that middle card is not the same one he removed, then by giving a pat to said middle card you will reveal it. If he instead responds by wanting it one of those on the side, then in a nice way you say to the middle card, you go from here to where he wants it to be [moved manually, apparently], and it turns out that the game will be done.

4. Game of having more than one person take a card of their choice, keeping in mind what card it is, and placing them all one at a time into the deck and shuffling them, and then knowing how to tell each person what card they have taken.
Having shuffled the cards very well, you will take the deck and make a nice fan [rosta] of them in your hand, going around to have each person take a card of their choice, telling them to look at it and keep it in mind, then you will cut the master, having him place the card underneath and then you will shuffle the deck slightly, and continue to do the same with the others, as long as the cards that are removed always remain in place under the master. And then you will ask the last one who removed a card, what card was his, and in the meantime you will cut the master in a beautiful manner, and taking the card immediately that comes from [i. e., below] it, it will be the same, and likewise the others at the same time, so that the game will be done.

5. Game of having people take a card and knowing how to remove it from the deck by covering it with a handkerchief.
Shuffle the cards, having someone take out a card in his own way, and look at it, and then have him place it under the master. Then shuffle all the cards, and place them under a handkerchief, and with your hands under it you will remove the card that is under the master, which will be the one he had removed from the deck, asking him before showing it what card it was.

6. Beautiful game of telling a Person in one ear which card another person must take before he takes it.
After you have shuffled the cards, you look at one without being seen and place it under the master, then that card that you looked at and placed under said master, that is, for example, if you saw that it is the 6 of clubs, you will say first in a person's ear the person who will have to take the card will take the 6 of clubs. And then you take the deck of cards and place it in division with the master, in such a way as a fan, so that it makes the card that is behind the master easy for him to take, and that he cannot help but take the one that you know which Card it is, and after it is taken, you will tell him to put it in his pocket without looking at it, and then ask that Person who you told before in his ear the card that someone else had to take from the deck, what card you told him, and he will reply that it is the same card that the Person who took it from the deck will have in his pocket, so that the game will be over.

Games to be played with the low cards as they come from the card-maker.

7. Game of making people imagine a card and knowing which one it is.
You give the cards to a Person to shuffle and then tell him to imagine a Card to himself, knowing how to tell me, when I ask him, what number his imagined card is. Then have the cards returned to you, without having shuffled them, starting to count them underneath, placing them one on top of the other, counting up to the 29th, which you will place on top of the cards remaining in your hand without counting, saying: wouldn't it be a good game if I told you I would give the card you imagined to the 30 cards I will count? He will answer yes, and then you ask him how much was the Card he imagined. He will answer for example at 4 and you then start counting the deck by saying and 5 6 7 etc. up to 30, at which number you will find to be the card he imagined. And if, for example, he answered that his imagined card was at 17 and you start counting from the first one up saying 18, 19 etc. until 30; and so continue on to whatever number he responds to be [i.e., says is] the card imagined by him.

8. Game to have several people take a card of their choice without them seeing it, and that card that I tell them to give me will be that one.
You take the deck of cards, and look at the last card with skill, keeping it in mind, and then throw the deck of cards on the table spread out at length, making sure that the last card you saw underneath remains close to you covered, so that it would not be taken by someone. And if, for example, said card you saw was the 6 of hearts [quori = cuori], you will then say starting from one: please take out a card without looking at it, and give it to me, I want it to be the 6 of hearts. And everyone keeps in mind the card that I will ask him for, when he has given me the card taken from the first one you will quickly look at it, and then you will say to the second: Please give me the card that the first one gave you, that is, if it was for example the ace of diamonds [mattoni, bricks, alternative name for diamonds], it is said, give me the ace of diamonds, and so on to every person who wants to draw cards. Then when there is no more person that wants to draw, then you say: and for myself I will take that card that you will receive from the last person, that is, for example if it is the two of spades, taking for yourself the card that you looked at at the beginning under the deck which will be the 6 of hearts that you made the first player get. And so, then asking the first one what card I asked him for, he will answer me the 6 of hearts, and you will show it to him as you will do similarly, so that the game will be over.

9. Game to make seen the deck of cards in the hand tightened, i.e. from the extremity of the parts on one side all figures [court cards], and on the other all without figures.
Take a court card and place another card that is not a court card a little shorter than the first, placing thus in this way until there are figures, and then by holding them tightly in your hands turned towards the figure you will show a band of said cards, which will be seen to be all figures, and then on the other without figures, so that the game will be done.

Various other games without cards

The game of tying several knots in a silk handkerchief with its opposite sides; and then your hand being covered with said handkerchief, placing the knot underneath, with which only said knot is held, and it remains immediately untied.
The game of making seen an apple divided without touching the peel.
Beautiful game of making everyone present appear with ugly faces.
Game of removing a key or ring inserted into a double thread, and making it be held with the two large fingers of the hands.
Game of cutting a thread in the middle, knotting it, and then leaving it whole without any knots.
Game of placing a candlestick with the tallow candle lit on the ground ten arm lengths away and having it go out when you tell it to go out.
Game of having an uncovered flask full of red wine placed under a ceiling, and by giving said flask a blow, making it that the wine does not spill at all, even though the flask is in fact broken.

Game of the Clock with minchiate Cards, and then they are spread out on the table as follows, but face down.

BNCF, Fondo Nazionale, II.—.190. Detail from the last group of sheets [Ace-Queen right to left, King in bottom center] (Reproduction prohibited)

Then say: Remember the time you went to bed last night, or imagine whatever time you want. He will answer, I have thought of it. Ask him which card he wants to start counting from; he will say for example from the first [from the right], meaning the ace; then tell him to count over [i.e. starting with the number after] the imagined hour, starting to count from the one [the ace, far right], followed by the King [bottom center], Queen [far left, with “dama” on it], etc. that is, backwards [clockwise] to fifteen. And if he said he wanted to start counting from the second [card], which is the deuce, tell him to count until 16, etc. And so when he finishes counting, you turn over the card which will be the number of the hour he thought of. As, for example, if he thought of 9 [the imagined hour], beginning to count from that card he wants [the ace or deuce, this example] by saying 10, 11, 12, etc, until 15 or 16 [which, when turned over, will be the 9], depending on the card that he wants to start counting [from], and the game will be done.
Warning that those numbers placed above the aforementioned display of cards are those that give the rule up to where it must be said that he counts above [i.e. starting the hour after] the imagined time; that is, if he says he wants to start counting from the 4th card, which will be the 4, he must count [from the imagined number] up to 18.

Low Card Game, by Och and Boch
Have the cards shuffled, then have someone make two piles on the table, telling him to look at the first two cards on top of said piles. And in the meantime, you go aside and wet the palm of your right hand with spit [without – FP] anyone observing you; then come to the table and tell him to keep one of the cards he has seen in his memory. And then you will ask him which pile he wants [i.e, which pile has the card he wants to go with, keeping it in his memory], then he will answer one of the two, and you place your wet hand on that one, saying, this one, and at the same time dexterously remove the card and place it on the other pile pretending to shuffle it without touching the one above. And then immediately you will tell him to put his hand on that pile where you removed the card, placing your hand on it again, telling him, say och and boch. His having said that, you will then have him shuffle the cards of that pile where the aforementioned hands were placed. And at that time you take the other pile and shuffle the cards, making sure to always keep the card of said bunch [mazzo] that you will shuffle on top, which card you will place face down on the table. And then you say, wouldn't it be a good game if that card that you saw in the bunch [mazzo] in your hands was the one on the table face down; he would say yes; and then you will pat said card on the table, turning it over, which will be it, and the game will be done.

Card game, of the Viglietto [note 5]
Give the deck of cards to the person you want to play the game, telling him to shuffle them and then have them returned to you, and carefully observe the bottom card of the deck, and then without touching the one seen, shuffle them well, and then place the deck of cards on the table; and write on a small sheet of paper the card you saw at the bottom of the deck, i.e. for example, the 4 of clubs. And having that note [viglietto] kept sealed, give it to another person; then take a wand, and give it into the hand of that person who you had shuffle the cards, and tell him to touch a card; to this effect, having the

_____________
5. Viglietto=Biglietto, in English: “note.”

6

cards in your hand spread out like a fan so that the last card of the deck that you have seen remains in the left hand and when you see the card that he touches with said wand, try with skill to place the card of the 4 of clubs, that you have seen, under the one touched with the wand, wetting to this effect the 3rd finger of the left hand, immediately dividing the deck of cards into two parts so that in the right hand the 4 of clubs remains at the bottom of the deck, and the other, the deck that will remain in the left hand, is placed on the table, showing together with the deck that will be in the right hand the last card, which will be the 4 of clubs in front of the one that he has touched with the wand, telling him while giving him said card, Your Lordship, keep it face down. Then all the cards are taken back and shuffled, saying: wouldn't it be a good game if that person who holds the note that I gave him, told him, what card it is that which you have covered there the said note being written before he, Your Lordship, touched the card, and he will say yes, then tell the person who has the note to read it; so the game will be done, and it's beautiful.

Game of having three dice be rolled together, without the person who wants to do the game seeing them rolled, and all the same being able to tell the number on each dice that have been rolled.

Game to divine by touch without seeing what cards they are, i.e. Figure [i.e. court card], or Number Card [Cartaccia], placing the deck of cards above the head in sight of the person who sees.
Tell a friend to stand among the other people who will be facing the player and looking at the cards that said player will hold above his head. And when he sees that they are figures, he lowers his eyes to the ground, because that will be the sign that they are figures, and when they are number cards, he continues to look at the cards, so that the player will know when he has to say this is a figure, and this is a number card, pretending to feel them with a finger before saying it, so as to take the time to recognize said gesture of the friend.

3. Comments

Coming after the description of entire manuscript books dedicated to the same subject, this fourteen-page text presents itself as a secondary addition. Unfortunately, the elements that could certainly assign a greater value to these games are missing. The uncertainty is mainly due to my insufficient expertise in the matter, and I have already recognized this in previous cases. There would be two ways to assign considerable importance to the games presented here. The first way is simply technical, that is, to recognize that these are not entirely traditional games, but that they have some originality. As mentioned, for this we would need the opinion of an expert in the history of these games. One detail, secondary but of some interest, is that the text presents itself as an original draft, with several corrections, and not as a copy from previous compilations. On the other hand, if we find expressions that are not very correct and clear, we can observe that a professional magician was not usually required to have particular competence in the written Italian language.

The other way to enhance these games would come from knowing the date, if not also the author: if they were cards from the seventeenth century, the date would be enough to make them more appreciated. The relevant issue is the last of all those sheets bound together in this manuscript book. Of dated documents there are some from the 1630s, but others without dates can be dated well into the eighteenth century, based on the context. A large date range therefore remains unavoidable if one relies on the other documents preserved together.

Since this is a manuscript, however, there is a further possibility: based on the handwriting, a narrower date range should be able to be defined. Personally, I could propose a year close to 1700, but I would do so by associating it with an interval of at least half a century more or less. To make such a dating more useful I can report the opinion of a librarian more expert than me who would propose "second half of the seventeenth century."

7
I can also conclude on a positive note: with all the related uncertainties, if nothing else we find a fixed point: the documents preserved together and the very use of minchiate in the proposed card games demonstrate, if nothing else, that the origin is Florentine, or at least Tuscan.

Florence, 18.07.2024