Tarots The Visconti Pack in Bergamo and New York

The text is a short novel by Calvino in effect commissioned by Ricci for this edition: it concerns a group of travelers who are struck dumb and can communicate their stories only through Tarot cards, recounted and described by a narrator. [Calvino went on later to 'complete' the story in a second part, built around another deck of Tarot, published in 1973 as "Il castello dei destini incrociati" [Torino : Einaudi, 1973.], later published in English as: The castle of crossed destinies . Illustrating Calvino's novel are high quality photographs of the 15th c Visconto Tarot deck, the oldest known surviving deck in existence. The Visconti deck is dispersed between the Pierpont Morgan Library, the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo, and others are in a private collection. An essay by Sergio Samek Ludovici discusses the game of Tarots and the history of the Visconti-Sforza Packs.