Morena Poltronieri
Ernesto Fazioli
Arnell Ando
Tarot Travel
Guide of Italy
History of a Mystery
from the Renaissance
Introduction
by
Giovanni Pelosini
Travel is always an adventure in the labyrinths of the psyche. When our physical body moves
and the senses are stimulated by new colors, sounds, tastes and visions, the mind continuously
travels, to evoke in ourselves ancient memories.
If the journey is a dip into the historical and cultural memory of our own civilization, every cell
in our body vibrates in tune with the places visited.
But if, as in this case, Tarot is the objective, but also the symbolic realm which guides an
extraordinary trip to Italy, then every moment will be a memorable cultural experience ~
emotional, evocative, esoteric, evolutionary and educational.
The Italian Renaissance was an extraordinary moment in history in which the ancient cultural
traditions were dramatically challenged by the cult of beauty and harmonious artistic expression
in an atmosphere of freedom and exploration. Brilliant humanists who were still unknown at that
time, created a fascinating game for aristocrats and the multitudes, which concealed an initiatory
phase of content; a philosophical heir to Platonic thought, aimed at freeing humanity, with wings
to attain a higher consciousness, beyond the limits of matter and mind.
Traveling the trail of Tarot in Italy is to venture into the past, surrounded by art and beauty, by
history and legend, culture and mystery. It is not a journey for everyone; for not all are prepared
to become mirrors of infinity. When that which is infinite wants to manifest itself to us, it must
first be translated into something finished; when the invisible wants to reveal itself, it must
become visible, and when we invite the unknown to express itself, the absolute descends into a
space denser and more intelligible than the senses and the mind. And as always, we call this
‘creative expression’.
The journey of the Tarot in Italy is nourishment for the senses, the intellect and the spirit. The
connections between the Tarot, the destinations, the characters, the situations, the experiences
that you can live out in Italy are innumerable, and a lifetime would not be enough to comprehend
it all. Like any travel, it is an adventure that never ceases to amaze, and a quest that never ends.
Bologna, Milan, Siena, Ferrara, Bergamo are only the first stages of a bountiful path that would
cross every village and city of the peninsula. Pisa, Florence, Lucca, Orvieto, Rimini, Urbino,
Mantua might be suggestions for further travel, but this would only be a tantalizing hors
d’oeuvre, to stimulate the intellectual appetite; an invitation to totally immerse yourself in the
fascinating world of Tarot, with the genuine risk of getting lost in the vast and stimulating,
consciously functioning, open-air museum that is Italy.
Even Italians are often surprised by the rich heritage that their illustrious ancestors left behind,
but more often they take for granted the good fortune of living each day immersed in history and
culture, art and beauty. For a foreigner, such total immersion is a unique and absolutely
memorable experience.
So as not to get lost in the esoteric journey narrated in the Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri
needed three guides: Virgil, Beatrice and St. Bernard. If you choose to take an Italian Tarot tour,
the expertise of Morena Poltronieri, Ernesto Fazioli and Arnell Ando offer the best guides
possible for an amazing trip: their love of the history, art and culture of Tarot is tangible, while
their knowledge of the themes, events and places is unique, and their humanity heartfelt.
Buon viaggio.
Giovanni Pelosini