Italian Playing Cards

November 9, 2009 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

I’ve known for years that our Italian neighbours play a lot of cards, but I didn’t realise until recently how different their deck was. In the interest of expanding my brain, I purchased a pack recently, and was charmed by how beautiful the cards are. They make our standard poker deck look quite boring. Now, we just need to figure out how to actually play a game…

Each deck has 40 cards, made up of four suits – cups, coins, swords and clubs. There are three face cards in each suit (King, Queen and Knight), and seven number cards (click on the photos below for a clearer image).

I particularly love the Queens, in their “don’t mess with me” stances. (Don’t mess with me or I’ll smack you with my club..)

I never knew there were so many varieties of playing cards! Wikipedia has more information, including photos of decks from Central Europe and Spain, which are very different again.

So…does anyone play Scopa or Briscola at home?

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Posted in Cool Things | Tagged Briscola, Italian playing cards, Scopa | 10 Comments

10 Responses

on November 10, 2009 at 4:20 pm moo

HI Celia,
since I live in Adelaide’s little Italy I have a deck and have played my Italian friends until they got sick of losing.
I mainly play Scopa.
Cheers
M
- on November 10, 2009 at 4:26 pm figjamandlimecordial
  
  Of course you have a deck, Moo. Why am I not surprised? :) Celia xx
on November 10, 2009 at 6:20 pm Anna

An obscure reason for you to come to Paris – there is a museum of playing cards! I went with the children’s school. Many, many beautiful cards from around the world – all different shapes. Think it was the English who first started the double-headed card.
- on November 11, 2009 at 8:34 am figjamandlimecordial
  
  Wow Anna, only in Paris! A whole museum? Amazing…
on November 11, 2009 at 9:43 pm Tracey

That sounds really interesting – we’re going to the UK at Christmas and spending a few days in Paris. What’s the address? If it’s central we might pop in!
on November 12, 2009 at 8:47 am Anna

http://www.issy.com/statiques/musee/uji_f3.html

The museum is just outside Paris in Issy les Moulineaux but you can take the metro line 12 and the museum is about a 5 min walk from the last stop.

It was very interesting to visit – but not sure it would be in my top 20 Paris museum list. The dispays and lighting are beautiful.

Sorry for delay in reply – I was in London for 24 hrs seeing Priscilla, the musical!!
on November 12, 2009 at 8:59 pm Tracey

Thanks Anna – website tested my school girl French! Oh to be able to duck over to London for 24 hrs!
on December 15, 2009 at 2:10 am P.J.

hey there, I just realized that i’m missing a card from my deck, i live in Perth. does anyone know where i can get replacemnet? (where i can buy another deck i meant)
- on December 15, 2009 at 6:18 am figjamandlimecordial
  
  P.J., I saw them on sale at Remo General Store online.
  
  Cheers, Celia
on October 4, 2011 at 4:15 pm Sophie

I have a deck of briscola cards and would like to play more socially, especially 4 person briscola and scopa – is there a club in Perth?