It is thought that Paradiso relied on a much earlier Arabic story Kitab al- Miraj or the 'Book of Mohammads Ladder.' In the second half of the 13th century, the book was translated into Latin (as Liber Scale Machometi) and Spanish, and soon thereafter (in 1264) into Old French. Its Islamic depiction...

To Mikeh: I have often wondered if the designer of theHandpainted PMB etc did not like the usual depictions of the Star, and it was one reason this card is one of the 6 painted by a different hand, or as replacements. The Cary Yale Sheet Star and Moon are obviously very different to the PMB etc. The...

Marco wrote In Sacrobosco's geocentric diagram, the most external circle is labelled “the empyrean heaven, site of God and of all the elected”, whereas in Cusanus theocentric game the throne of God is placed in the inner circle. An interesting difference... It is interesting, but for a game try bowl...

Firstly I should state that I became interested in Dante's Paradiso, because Marco posted his bowling game, and it reminded me of Dante's Divine Comedy. I think the PMB Sforza Visconti deck was most likely commissioned as a celebration of 'The Golden Ambrosian Republic' in 1447.(It only lasted until...

The Dante Tarot is very interesting (thanks Phaeded), but here are some illustrations of Paradiso- nearer the time http://www.worldofdante.org/gallery_yates_thompson.html This is 1441 12 teachers of isdom in the Sun.jpg Then there is the artist Giovanni di Paolo in 1445. Giovanni_di_paolo's Satan.jp...

The Divine Comedy written by Dante Aligheri is divided into three parts- The Inferno or Hell, Purgatorio or Purgatory and Paradiso or Paradise/Heaven. Each section has 33 cantos. I am concentrating on Paradiso, because it is based on the four Cardinal Virtues and the three Theological virtues. The D...

Some interesting correlations between Paradiso's Cantos and the images of Tarot. When Dante and Beatrice who is Theology first step out in Paradiso to the Moon, it is in the sphere of Faith. The first Person on this lowest level he meets is Piccarda Donati. Piccarda explains to Dante that her placem...

Hi Mikeh. I do not agree with you. As I said The Moon is in the Sphere of Faith. It is about Faith and Inconstancy (of Faith)Dante thinks the Moon a Star, but Beatrice tells him it is the Moon. Dante and Beatrice(Theology) enter at the Moon and the first person he speaks to is Piccarda Donati who wa...

But why the Sun, Moon, and Star (or Stars), of all the triplicities one could change the theologicals to? Is there some precedent for that particular trinity, before the tarot? Even in the the book of Revelation, which does mention all three, that is not a trinity stated as such. You have to read i...

Yes I was joking about the Unicorns :p I read you There is the same problem with the theory that the celestials replace the theologicals (which I think iconographically they do). There has to be more to the story, celestials pre-existing somewhere. Well I used to think Sforza changing the Theologica...