d'Artagnan, the musketeer

Huck

I was amused to find that d'Artagnan, the musquetier and hero of Alexandre Dumas, had been once a real person.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_de_Batz-Castelmore_d'Artagnan
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_d’Artagnan_de_Batz-Castelmore
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/D'Artagnan

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It's even imaginable, that he had something to do with Tarot ...
... he worked for Cardinal Mazarin as a sort of secret agent around 1650.

Mazarin bought from the Gonzagas in 1659 the duchy Nevers-Rethel. The princess of Nevers-Rethel, later the Queen of Poland, had ordered the publication of the "first French Tarot rules" in 1637. Mazarin gave later the duchy to his nephew Philippe Mancini, the new duke of Nevers Rethel ("Philippe Mancini (26 mai 1641 à Rome-8 mai 1707 à Paris), duc de Nevers, dit de Nivernais, neveu de Mazarin ...").
Philippe Mancini, in 1657 proud 16 years old, was then le chef of d'Artagnan
En 1657, la première compagnie des mousquetaires, dite des « grands mousquetaires » ou des « mousquetaires gris » (en raison de la robe de leur chevaux), est reconstituée. D’Artagnan en devient membre avec le grade de sous-lieutenant, mais en assure le véritable commandement (le chef nominal, le capitaine-lieutenant, étant le duc de Nevers, un neveu de Mazarin).

Mazarin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_Mazarin
Mazarin himself was well known for his playing card activities, a part of his young career had it been, that he organized gambling activities (as I've read elsewhere). In Mazarin's early mighty time - with Mazarin having strong influence on the education of the young Louis - the young king got playing cards with educative aims. Later Louis had weekly gambling sessions at his court.

Jules_Mazarin.PNG

a gambling rat, great uncle of prince Eugen of Savoy, European hero

Mazarin was of high value in the question of the Mantovan succession (1628-31)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_Mantuan_Succession
By this the duke of Nevers-Rethel with Gonzaga-descent became duke of Mantova.
So Mazarin definitely knew about Tarot.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_Mantuan_Succession

Charles Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua and Montferrat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_I,_Duke_of_Mantua
Charles_de_Gonzague.jpg

Very likely a Tarot-player

His daughter, Polish Queen later (she ordered the Tarot rules from 1637)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Louise_Gonzaga

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... ordered the Tarot rules

... she promoted (as Queen in Poland) also ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tito_Livio_Burattini

... Tito Livio Burattini, who was an egyptologist, tried a cat as a pilot (pioneer in the development of flying machines) and had a sort of idea for the metric system (a 1/2 centimeter difference, the system was called "metro cattolico")

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The first Gonzaga-duke of Nevers and Rethel (which is a region in the South-East of Paris) was likely important for the popularity of Tarot in France during the second half of 16th century.

Luigi [Gonzaga], Duc de Nevers et Rethel, *22.10.1539, +23.10.1595; m.4.3.1565 Henriette de La Marck, heiress of Nevers et Rethel (*31.10.1542, +24.6.1601)
http://genealogy.euweb.cz/gonzaga/gonzaga3.html

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He, naturally from Mantova in Italy, was a grandson of Isabella d'Este, who was famous collector of art and also of playing cards. She frequently played with playing cards.
In 1565 he became duke of Nevers and Rethel by marriage, after he had served some time in French military before in the French-Spanish war.

Generally it's assumed, that the French interest in Tarot had its height in the first half of 17th century (then there was an Italian queen on the throne, Maria di Medici - likely this played a role).

Michael de Marolles, who published the Tarot rules of 1637 in his autobiography of 1657 20 years later, then notes, that Tarot had been earlier a much played game, but that its use had declined.

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The disappearance of the interest in Tarot seems to run parallel to the disinterest of the Gonzaga in France:

1629: The Mantova duke died. After a succession war the current duke of Nevers and Rethel leaves for the better position in Italy.
1637: The "princess of Nevers and Rethel" orders Marolles to write "her Tarot rules" (which seem to be better than the current French Tarot rules, at least in her eyes).
1645: The princess disappears to become Queen of Poland.
1657: Marolles gives his comment, that the interest in Tarot has gone down.
1659: The duchies Nevers and Rethel were sold to Mazarin.

1776: Gebelin notes later (1781), that Tarot was unknown in Paris

Still nowadays the interest in Tarot in the region of Nevers and surrounding is the highest in France ... one can count many Tarot clubs (clubs for "playing Tarot", not related to divination).