Love spurs me on to no other place, that her pure chastity was worthy of. If Love or Death do not bring some flaw will one day bring me fame. There was a time you felt it yourself, Bright Virgin, established in eternity.

What is the connection between Petrarch and today's common deck of playing cards? Perhaps more then you would first think.

It is well believed that today's playing cards are derived from Tarot cards, which, before they were called Tarot cards were called carte da trionfi, possibly named after Petrarch's I Trionfi.

Petrarch's poem, I Trionfi used the idea of the triumph allegorically. It tells the story of Petrarch's unrequited love for a lady named Laura. In the first triumph, Love as Cupid conquers the gods and men (including Petrarch). In the second triumph, Chastity defeats Love, reflecting Laura's ladylike rejection of Petrarch's advances. In the third triumph, Death defeats Chastity (Laura was a victim of the Black Death). In the fourth, Fame defeats Death (her reputation lives after her). In the fifth triumph, Time defeats Fame, and finally (sixth), Eternity conquers Time (with the promise that Petrarch and the object of his love will be united at last in the afterlife).

For more information on the connection between I Trionfi and Tarot cards I have included a few off-site links below.

Trionfi.com - Info on Tarot Cards and Petrarch Bob O'Neill - The evidence goes like this Rafal T. Prinke - Mantegna's Prints in Tarot History Tom Tadfor Little - Evaluating Tarot Origin Theories Tom Tadfor Little- Triumphs and the Game of Triumphs Michael J. Hurst - The Tarot Cards Review Robert V. O'Neill - About Tarot