Tarocco Bolognese

Published June 07, 1998 • Updated July 11, 2023

Tarocco Bolognese

This pattern has origins in the late XV century and was the earliest tarot pack to be converted to double-ended format. The deck is shortened to only 62 cards by omitting the lower numeral cards 2-5 in each suit.

Above: Tarocco Bolognese by Teodomiro Dal Negro, Treviso, 1970. This set includes two Jokers that aren't used in any tarocchini games. Images courtesy Rex Pitts.

Above: cards from Tarocchino Bolognese, 18th century, reprinted from original woodblocks by Vito Arienti, Edizioni del Solleone, 1969.

S. A. Beghi - Tarocco Bolognese

			Tarocco Bolognese, formerly known as Tarocchino, made by S.A. Beghi, of Milan, 1948. Its use has always been confined to Bologna, and it has existed since the XV century. Early examples are single-ended. The trumps are numbered with Arabic numerals.

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By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)

United Kingdom • Member since January 30, 2009

Rex's main interest was in card games, because, he said, they were cheap and easy to get hold of in his early days of collecting. He is well known for his extensive knowledge of Pepys games and his book is on the bookshelves of many. His other interest was non-standard playing cards. He also had collections of sheet music, music CDs, models of London buses, London Transport timetables and maps and other objects that intrigued him.

Rex had a chequered career at school. He was expelled twice, on one occasion for smoking! Despite this he trained as a radio engineer and worked for the BBC in the World Service. Later he moved into sales and worked for a firm that made all kinds of packaging, a job he enjoyed until his retirement. He became an expert on boxes and would always investigate those that held his cards. He could always recognize a box made for Pepys, which were the same as those of Alf Cooke’s Universal Playing Card Company, who printed the card games. This interest changed into an ability to make and mend boxes, which he did with great dexterity. He loved this kind of handicraft work.

His dexterity of hand and eye soon led to his making card games of his own design. He spent hours and hours carefully cutting them out and colouring them by hand.