Tarot of Marseilles

The Tarot of Marseilles is a standard pattern of Italian-suited tarot pack. It has 78 cards, made up of the four suits of batons, swords, cups and coins plus a set of twenty-two trump cards, and it was very popular in France in the 17th and 18th centuries, when it was used to play tarot card games. Packs of this pattern are still produced today. The pattern was probably created in Milan before it spread to much of France, Switzerland and Northern Italy. Its name is relatively recent: the card historian Romain Merlin coined the collective name Tarot de Marseille in 1856, and later French cartomancers helped popularize it for the closely related designs made in Marseille and other French cities. The International Playing-Card Society recommends the French form Tarot de Marseille. It was also the pack that led to the occult use of tarot cards, although dedicated decks are now made for that purpose.