Traditional Italian Fortune Cards - 40 cards for cartomancy and play
Italian fortune-telling cards are different from tarot. They consist of 40 cards divided over four traditional suits: cups, coins, swords and clubs. This deck follows that old structure and uses the imagery of nineteenth-century playing cards.
The cards are designed by Lo Scarabeo in Turin, a publisher that often reproduces or reinterprets historical card styles. Here the choice is a dark colour palette with browns, black and red. The illustrations are stylised figures in nineteenth-century dress, with classic symbols such as hearts, keys, anchors and flowers.
What you see on the cards
Each card shows a combination of symbols or a figure. A man with a letter. Two hands clasped together. A ship at sea. The style is flat, graphic, and uses lines and planes rather than painterly rendering.
The cards are not numbered according to the Minor Arcana structure of tarot. Instead they work with their own system that comes directly from Italian playing cards. That makes them more compact and direct in use.
The colour palette is dark. In strong daylight or artificial light the details are clearly visible, but in dim light symbols merge with the background. That suits the atmosphere, but less so for those who read cards in low-lit spaces.
For cartomancy and for card games
These cards are intended for two things. First, for cartomancy, reading cards according to the Italian tradition. The symbolism is practical and focused on everyday situations: work, relationships, money, news. No elaborate philosophical layers, just direct answers.
Second, you can use them for Italian card games such as Briscola and Truco. The cards are suitable for this because they have the right suits and numbers. For those who know the games, that is an added function.
Lay the cards in rows of five and read them as a continuous story. The Italian method often uses context rather than fixed meanings per card.
About Lo Scarabeo
Lo Scarabeo is an Italian publisher from Turin, active in tarot and oracle cards since 1987. They publish both classic reproductions and new decks by contemporary creators. Their production is aimed at a broad international market, with multilingual guidebooks and affordable print runs.
Specifications
- Number of cards: 40
- Guidebook language: multilingual (Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish, Italian)
- ISBN: 9780738773094
- Publisher: Lo Scarabeo
- Type: traditional Italian fortune-telling cards
- Style: vintage nineteenth-century
- Colour palette: dark with brown, black, red
- Finish: matte cardstock
Questions we often get
What is the difference between this deck and a tarot deck?
This deck has 40 cards divided over four suits, without Major Arcana. It follows the structure of Italian playing cards and focuses on practical, everyday questions. Tarot has 78 cards and works with a broader symbolic structure.
Can I learn cartomancy with this if I have never done it before?
Yes, but you will need to find or learn a method yourself. The guidebook gives basic information, but this deck asks for some independence. The symbols are clear enough to work with if you are willing to practise.
