Travelling to Northern Italy: Tarot places must-see!
Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 03 Jun 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.
| jmd |
03 Jun 2004 |
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I was sent a PM by another member who offered me a ticket... (wishful thinking!)
...but seriously, I have at different times been asked, as I am sure others too have been, what places in Northern Italy (let's restrict it to this for now) would ideally be incorporated in one's travel plans.
Of course, the answer will partly depend on various preferences.
For example, I would definitely include the Sforza Castle - just for the sake of seeing it.
I would likewise include, as a 20th century pleasure, Niki de Saint Phalle's 'Tarot Garden'...
In terms of historical card displays, I'll do a quick dig and add to the list...
But please, as one of our members is going there next week, add more than galore!!!
If you have specifically visited places mentioned, please do comment on your experience - for our own travel plan benefits.
Those who also went on the 'guided' travel to this very area with Brian Williams prior to his death, again places visited and how they may have been a boon to further understanding Tarot would be really wonderful for many of us to read :)
...and if anyone does want to send me a couple of tickets, send me a note, and I'll give you my postal address :D
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| jmd |
03 Jun 2004 |
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In Milan, I would try to get to see the Borromeo Palazzo for its mural depicting Tarocchi players.
Not far away, I would also go to Bergamo to visit some of the Visconti-Sforza cards at the Carrara Academy.
I would also try and visit Padua to visit the Cappella Degli Scrovagni, which has, apparently (please correct me if I am mistaken, someone) Giotto's imagery of various Virtues and their related Vices.
I have also taken note, but cannot remember exactly why (but still in relation to Tarot), to visit the Village of Clusone - I think it was from what somebody wrote of one of Brian Williams's tour, as it appears in my same notes.
Trying to find on-line reference for my own note, I stumbled across a wonderful page on Tarot Passages regarding a Tarot visit to Milan, well worth another read!
As a beginning...
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| Yatima |
03 Jun 2004 |
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Wonderful! Wonderful! I want to travel there in about a month! So if there are good ideas out there what to visit between Milan and Venice within (unfortunately just) one week's time, I am wide open for considerations...
Yatima
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| jmd |
03 Jun 2004 |
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I'm planning to travel myself in the second half of next year (after the Melbourne July 2005 Conference)...
So this thread will also be useful for me in long-term preparation.
There are indeed numerous places which have Tarot-type imagery - as many of these were, of course, more general from the Renaissance.
Only recently, for example, I went to a Melbourne Art exhibit (Carrovagio and his world) in which there were a couple of originals which included tables at which were Tarrochi players (the curved swords of the suit being quite clear).
How many such smaller treasures there must be!?!
I also wonder if someone (Huck ???) is in the process of cataloguing such for ease of future reference - but I move away from the thread in mentioning this.
Another place I would visit are the banks of the Taro - a place where indeed the name may even have been derived (though this is now discredited).
I remember when last in France and Switzerland (four years ago on a short visit before attending a work-related Conference), there were many workshops we happened to 'bump' into which included Tarot or Tarot-related materials...
I have been told that Venice also has a number of these, but do not have references.
There are also some additions which could be made in relation to Milanese places - as there are, also, various classical depictions of merit which are Tarot related.
It would be great to have someone either in situ or familiar with the city to add specific addresses, times, costs, or best times to visit. For those of us (most, I suspect) who have only rarely or never been there, it becomes a maze of wonder, from which the Tarot related treasures become more difficult to isolate.
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| jmd |
06 Jun 2004 |
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One place which I would include is also San Petronio Cathedral in Bologna (about 50 km South of Ferrara).
There is a fresco therein mentioned by Robert O'Neill which depicts the Hanged Man...
For this alone, it would be worth visiting this Gothic Cathedral which never achieved its intended splendor due to restrictions which were forthwith imposed that no church could be larger than the Roman Papal see...
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| Cerulean |
06 Jun 2004 |
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If you get into the central areas and Siena and Ravenna are included, the Duomo of Siena has each year one or two uncovered mosiacs that look very tarocchi like from a place that predates such card games.
A commerative Tarocchi (slightly too much money) has all the tiles, so I found the book/deck interesting to contemplate--my glances at travel and other books show it is a small place so if you find a youth hostel or monestary for pilgrims, it will not be too expensive. In fact, if you can do without air conditioning and just want a place with clean sheets and water, shared bathroom facilities, you can do the walking pilgrimage to stay at Catholic monestary sites...which may also be near your area of interest.
However if I was to really nominate ONE out of the way place, Ravenna has Dante's tomb, was the ancient Byzantine capital and has a church that soars to the sky in a way that when you walk toward it, you feel...well the ancient of days is alive. When I took the Renaissance classes, a woman volunteered a few of her slides of Ravenna and the cathedral. The sky, church, plaza, Dante's tomb, etc., all within comfortable walking distance...it seemed quieter. I believe their are placards showing historic places, for instance the last retreat house of Dante's daughter.
Paradiso has brief, although complimentary descriptions of Dante's last city home, the kingdom of Ravenna.
Outside of Florence (Florence is easily walkable and has days of things all packed to see), there are supposed to be nice restored castles and inns.. and within Florence there are so many churches of art, beautiful plaques showing Dante's improvements during his mayoral stint and other 'historic' Dante areas. The fact that Ravenna has Dante's tomb has been a sore historic subject, but Ravenna has officially the Dante bones and tributes by this writer...
Whatever treasures your friends and family choose to visit, hope you get a chance to let us all know...
Bon voyage,
Cerulean Mari
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The Travelling to Northern Italy: Tarot places must-see! thread was originally posted on 03 Jun 2004 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.
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