Tarot — Origins, Cards, Fortune

A masterpiece reunited in Bergamo

The Accademia Carrara, a prestigious museum of ancient art in Bergamo, dedicates a major exhibition to tarot cards, objects that have fascinated for centuries with their dual nature as a game and a divinatory tool. At the center of the exhibition is the exceptional reunion of the Colleoni Tarot Deck, the most famous and complete 15th-century deck in the world.

The History of the Colleoni Tarot Deck

For over a century, the cards of the Colleoni Tarot Deck have been divided between the Morgan Library & Museum in New York, private collections, and Italy. For the first time in over a hundred years, the 74 cards of the deck are reunited from their three components: those held at Carrara, those at the Morgan Library in New York, and those in private collections. An exceptional event for the history of art and collecting.

Seven Centuries of History

The exhibition, curated by Paolo Plebani, reconstructs seven centuries of tarot history, from the luxury of Renaissance courts to contemporary creativity. The exhibition, divided into seven sections — from the court playing tarot reimagined by artists — is enriched by loans from Italian and international museums, outlining the most comprehensive overview ever created on tarot cards.

Bergamo and Art

The exhibition confirms the role of the Accademia Carrara and Bergamo in the Italian cultural landscape. Visiting the exhibition is also an opportunity to discover the museum's permanent collections and to stroll through the nearby Città Alta, among the UNESCO World Heritage Venetian walls of the Orobic capital.