Storia del Fascismo - gioco di carte

Published February 21, 2024 • Updated February 21, 2024

‘Storia del Fascismo’ playing cards depicting persons, symbols and artifacts associated with Italian fascism.

Not to be confused with the Il Meneghello Storia del Fascismo pack, this undated pack was published by T&G Signorelli of Turin in a limited edition of 1,200 copies, of which the specific deck displayed here is no. 43.

Named individuals are presented on the court cards and on the 2s and 4s. The kings are Mussolini, the queens are his daughter Edda, his second wife Donna Rachelle, his daughter Anna Maria, and his mistress Claretta Petacci. The jacks display the four leaders that led Mussolini’s March on Rome in October 1922: Emilio de Bono, Cesare Maria De Vecchi, Michele Bianchi, and Italo Balbo. Those on the 2s and 4s are fascist politicians or leaders. The jokers are named “Balilla” and “Piccola italiana” -- this probably refers to the Italian Fascist youth movement (1926-1937) which was organized in three main sections, the Balilla (8–15‐year‐old boys), the Avanguardie (15–18‐year‐old boys), and the Piccole Italiane (for girls).

Storia del Fascismo published by T&G Signorelli of Turin, undated

Above: Storia del Fascismo published by T&G Signorelli of Turin, undated.

Although the cards have standard 4-corner indices, the suits actually displayed on the pip cards are symbols and artifacts associated with Italian fascism. There are two extra cards, one with the artist’s signature, and the other with a statement in Italian by Mussolini►

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By Peter Burnett

United Kingdom • Member since July 27, 2022

I graduated in Russian and East European Studies from Birmingham University in 1969. It was as an undergraduate in Moscow in 1968 that I stumbled upon my first 3 packs of “unusual” playing cards which fired my curiosity and thence my life-long interest. I began researching and collecting cards in the early 1970s, since when I’ve acquired over 3,330 packs of non-standard cards, mainly from North America, UK and Western Europe, and of course from Russia and the former communist countries.

• Russian Playing Cards

Following my retirement from the Bodleian Library in Dec. 2007 I took up a new role as Head of Library Development at the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to support library development in low-income countries. This work necessitated regular training visits to many sub-Saharan African countries and also further afield, to Vietnam, Nepal and Bangladesh – all of which provided rich opportunities to further expand my playing card collection.

Since 2019 I’ve been working part-time in the Bodleian Library where I’ve been cataloguing the bequest of the late Donald Welsh, founder of the English Playing Card Society.