Three events are scheduled: from 2 to 15 August, the historical exhibition ‘Tarot Cards: Game, Divination and Magic’ at the Oratorio dei Disciplinanti; on 12 and 13 August, ‘The Night of the Tarot Cards’ will enliven the village. On 13 August, in the Cloister of Santa Caterina, there will be a conference entitled “History of Tarot. Truth and legends about the most mysterious cards in the world”.

Finale Ligure (SV), 29 July 2022 – From Tuesday 2 to Monday 15 August, the Oratorio dei Disciplinanti, in the monumental complex of Santa Caterina in Finalborgo, will host the historical exhibition “Tarocchi. Gioco, Divinazione e Magia” (Tarot Cards: Game, Divination and Magic), promoted by the Municipality of Finale Ligure and the Finalborgo.it Association.

The exhibition project, curated by Giordano Berti, historian of esotericism in art, focuses on the most evocative aspects of this “game of human life”: the origins of the Tarot, its iconographic evolution and esoteric use.

In a fascinating setting created by art designer Letizia Rivetti, there are faithful reproductions of the precious golden Tarot cards hand-painted in the 15th century for the courts of the Visconti (from the workshop of Bonifacio Bembo), the Sforza (workshop of Bembo and Antonio Cicognara) and the Este. Then there are the first “Marseille” Tarot cards, the popular Ligurian-Piedmontese Tarot cards and the refined 19th-century Milanese Tarot cards, leading up to the Arcana of the 19th-century occultists.

The historical journey is accompanied by ancient books, manuscripts, period engravings on the theme of cartomancy, magical objects and a stone (donated by ALP in Cortemilia) engraved by Maestro Ivano Ghiglia with figures from a Piedmontese Tarot deck dating back to 1830.

The inauguration, scheduled for Tuesday, 2 August at 6 p.m., will be accompanied by a toast with prestigious wines from the Montaribaldi Winery in Barbaresco (CN), to commemorate the close link that existed in the past between Tarot cards and tavern games, as demonstrated by some ancient prints on display.

The exhibition in Finalborgo sheds light on certain popular beliefs, such as the legend of the Egyptian origin of Tarot cards, and highlights how these cards were, in fact, the product of an artistic culture and way of thinking typical of the Po Valley Renaissance.

At the same time, on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 August, Finalborgo will also host ‘La Notte dei Tarocchi’ (The Night of Tarot), two evenings that will enliven the ancient streets and squares of the village, with many stands dedicated to tarot reading, holistic practices, messages for the soul, astrological consultations and meetings dedicated to a wide range of esoteric disciplines. An ‘open-air conference’ that attracts thousands of people every year, making one of the ‘most beautiful villages in Italy’ even more magical.

Finally, on Saturday 13 August, at 9 pm, in the Cloister of Santa Caterina, Giordano Berti will hold a conference entitled: “History of Tarot Cards. Truth and legends about the most mysterious cards in the world”, presenting the book recently published by Rinascimento and OM Edizioni. The lecture will be accompanied by a slide show and a temporary exhibition of valuable historical Tarot cards faithfully reproduced by Rinascimento Italian Style Art.

Three events linked to an ancient art. Finalborgo, together with the adjacent towns of Final Marina (now Finale Ligure) and Final Pia, was an important centre for the production of playing cards, Tarot cards and Minchiate cards from the first half of the 17th century for almost two centuries. This production was favoured by the presence of several paper factories. In fact, a master paper maker from Finale, Felice Solesio, was called upon by the Spanish Crown in 1761 to manage the Royal Playing Card Factories. Thanks to this brilliant entrepreneur, the trade in Spanish playing cards reached the Americas and Asia. It is no coincidence that in Benalmádena, now twinned with Finale Ligure, Félix Solesio is commemorated with a bronze statue.

USEFUL INFORMATION

TAROT CARDS. GAMES, DIVINATION, MAGIC.
Oratory of the Disciplinanti, Monumental Complex of Santa Caterina, Finalborgo (Sv)
curated by Giordano Berti
from 2 to 15 August, 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
FREE ENTRY.

Info: ArtStudioLetizia@gmail.com – Cell. 349 2602198