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October 25th, 2025 – Eleonora Corradi
Italian cards have never been just an individual pastime: they are part of a collective ritual. Among the most popular games are Scopa, Briscola and Tressette. Scopa is a trick-taking game where players score points for scopes, coins, settebello and primiera. Briscola is based on tricks with a dominant trump suit, the “briscola.” Tressette, considered the most “intellectual,” requires memory, strategy and silent complicity between teammates. These games are not limited to tournaments: they thrive in bars, clubs and kitchens, accompanied by friendly chatter, jokes, superstitions and small rituals passed down through generations.
Playing cards in art.
Scenes of card games have inspired painters of all eras, becoming symbols of deception, cunning or lightheartedness. The famous “The Cardsharps” by Caravaggio (1594) depicts a young man being cheated by two accomplices, highlighting psychological tension and theatrical composition.
In eighteenth-century Venice, Pietro Longhi depicts the Ridotto, a gambling hall open during Carnival, where masked aristocrats challenge each other at the tables. These works show how the card game, far beyond the table itself, serves as a powerful social portrait.
Playing cards from paintings to film: “Lo scopone scientifico”.
In Italian cinema, card games often carry symbolic meaning. In Luigi Comencini’s 1972 film “Lo scopone scientifico” a very wealthy American woman (Bette Davis) challenges a working-class Roman couple (Alberto Sordi and Silvana Mangano) to a long game of scopone. The match becomes a metaphor for class struggle: the rich play “scientifically” and calculate everything; the poor dream of revenge but are systematically defeated.
The timeless charm of Italian playing cards.
Italian playing cards are much more than a pastime. They tell of trade routes, artistic influences, social rivalries and family memories. From Renaissance courts to provincial taverns, from Caravaggio’s paintings to 1970s films, these cards have crossed the centuries without losing their appeal. And still today, in many Italian bars, just one deck is enough to start a game, a challenge or, simply, a story.
DID YOU KNOW?
Behind the long history of Italian cards are companies that have transformed a popular object into a product of excellence. The two best-known brands are Dal Negro and Modiano, historic names that have dominated national production for over a century. Dal Negro, founded in Treviso in 1756, began as a small artisan workshop and today exports decks worldwide. Known for the quality of its materials, attention to graphic details and elegant packaging, the company produces not only traditional playing cards but also tarot decks and customized cards for casinos. Modiano, founded in Trieste in 1868, is another legendary name. Its cards are distinguished by their exceptional durability and crisp printing, qualities that have made them the favorite of many clubs, official tournaments and European casinos. Both Modiano and Dal Negro are official suppliers to several casinos and gaming halls in Italy and abroad.
E ORA TOCCA A VOI!
Abbinare le parole / le espressioni seguenti alla loro definizione corrispondente: Match the words or expressions below with their correct definition:
A. Strozzare
B. Fare cappotto
C. Scartine
D. Carichi (o onori)
E. Valere come il due di picche
F. Figure
G. Calare una carta
H. Presa
I. Tagliare il mazzo
J. Avere un asso nella manica
1. Avere una risorsa nascosta o una strategia segreta pronta per essere usata al momento giusto.
2. Re, donna e fante: le carte con figure umane.
3. Vincere una partita senza lasciare neppure un punto all’avversario.
4. Carte di valore alto (assi, tre, re, ecc.), determinanti per la vittoria.
5. Dividere il mazzo di carte in due blocchi prima di distribuirlo, come gesto per garantire la correttezza della partita.
6. Carte di poco valore, spesso usate per liberarsi o non sprecare punti.
7. Vincere una presa bloccando l’avversario che avrebbe potuto fare punto.
8. Quando una carta vince la mano e conquista le carte sul tavolo.
9. Giocare una carta sul tavolo.
10. Espressione colloquiale per dire che qualcosa “vale pochissimo” o “non conta niente”.
