Giordano Berti
Encyclopedia
Giordano Berti is an Italian writer and teacher of History of Arts. Born in Bologna
, he grew up in Monghidoro
, a town of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. After obtaining his College diploma he went on to study history and philosophy at University of Bologna
and shortly thereafter started his career of editor and writer.
Berti is an established and prolific author of many books about different subjects, such as History of Esotericism
(magic
, divination
, witchcraft
, alchemy
, astrology
, heresies, gnosticism
, heaven
and hell
, angels and devil
s) in his relationship with Art. Some of Berti's books are translated in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Polish and Japanese.
He was president and co-founder of the Istituto Graf at Bologna, an association dedicated to the research and, often, rediscovery of the Arts and Folklore
. Berti frequently organises, with the patronage and support of local Councils, many Art and History exhibitions throughout Italy.
As a Tarot
historian, Berti was invited, as special guest, at the third World Tarot Congress, in Chicago
(May 10 to 14 2001), were he delivered a long conference titled "The Babel of Tarot, or the evolution of the 22 allegoric Triumph cards as a transformation into an esoteric language"http://www.tarotpassages.com/berti.htm.
Berti is consultant for two Tarot and Playing Cards editors, Lo Scarabeo (Turin
, Italy
) and Dal Negro :it:Dal Negro (Treviso
, Italy
).
, Italy), and Michael Dummett
, a British philosopher, Berti organized various exhibits on the History and Art of Tarot:
With Vitali, Berti also published some important catalogues:
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, he grew up in Monghidoro
Monghidoro
Monghidoro is a comune in the Province of Bologna in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 30 km south of Bologna.-Geography:...
, a town of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. After obtaining his College diploma he went on to study history and philosophy at University of Bologna
University of Bologna
The Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating university in the world, the word 'universitas' being first used by this institution at its foundation. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088...
and shortly thereafter started his career of editor and writer.
Berti is an established and prolific author of many books about different subjects, such as History of Esotericism
Esotericism
Esotericism or Esoterism signifies the holding of esoteric opinions or beliefs, that is, ideas preserved or understood by a small group or those specially initiated, or of rare or unusual interest. The term derives from the Greek , a compound of : "within", thus "pertaining to the more inward",...
(magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
, divination
Divination
Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...
, witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
, alchemy
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
, astrology
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
, heresies, gnosticism
Gnosticism
Gnosticism is a scholarly term for a set of religious beliefs and spiritual practices common to early Christianity, Hellenistic Judaism, Greco-Roman mystery religions, Zoroastrianism , and Neoplatonism.A common characteristic of some of these groups was the teaching that the realisation of Gnosis...
, heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
and hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
, angels and devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
s) in his relationship with Art. Some of Berti's books are translated in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Polish and Japanese.
He was president and co-founder of the Istituto Graf at Bologna, an association dedicated to the research and, often, rediscovery of the Arts and Folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
. Berti frequently organises, with the patronage and support of local Councils, many Art and History exhibitions throughout Italy.
As a Tarot
Tarot
The tarot |trionfi]] and later as tarocchi, tarock, and others) is a pack of cards , used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play a group of card games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot...
historian, Berti was invited, as special guest, at the third World Tarot Congress, in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
(May 10 to 14 2001), were he delivered a long conference titled "The Babel of Tarot, or the evolution of the 22 allegoric Triumph cards as a transformation into an esoteric language"http://www.tarotpassages.com/berti.htm.
Berti is consultant for two Tarot and Playing Cards editors, Lo Scarabeo (Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
) and Dal Negro :it:Dal Negro (Treviso
Treviso
Treviso is a city and comune in Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 82,854 inhabitants : some 3,000 live within the Venetian walls or in the historical and monumental center, some 80,000 live in the urban center proper, while the city...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
).
Various exhibits catalogues
Together with important historians, Berti organized various History Exhibits and wrote the relatives Catalogues (availables in Italian only):- TarotTarotThe tarot |trionfi]] and later as tarocchi, tarock, and others) is a pack of cards , used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play a group of card games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot...
. Game and magic at Estense Court (Le Carte di Corte. I Tarocchi. Gioco e Magia alla Corte degli Estensi), with A. Vitali, M. DummettMichael DummettSir Michael Anthony Eardley Dummett FBA D.Litt is a British philosopher. He was, until 1992, Wykeham Professor of Logic at the University of Oxford...
, C. Gatto Trocchi, P. Marsili, G. Algeri; Ferrara, Estense Castle, october 1987 – january 1988. - The MoseMoseMose or Mosè is a given name, and may refer to:In music:* Mose Allison, American jazz pianist and singer* Mose Rager, guitar player from KentuckyIn sports:* Mose Navarra, former tennis player from Italy...
's People (Il popolo di Mosè), with F. Cardini, C. Colafemmina, D. Liscia Bemporad, A. Grossato, A. Sermoneta; AndriaAndria-Places:Italy*Andria, a city in the Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani*Roman Catholic Diocese of Andria, a Roman Catholic diocese...
, Palace of the Dukes, september-october 1998. - Giovanni Domenico CassiniGiovanni Domenico CassiniThis article is about the Italian-born astronomer. For his French-born great-grandson, see Jean-Dominique Cassini.Giovanni Domenico Cassini was an Italian/French mathematician, astronomer, engineer, and astrologer...
and the origins of modern astronomy (G. D. Cassini e le origini dell'astronomia moderna), with P. A. Rossi e I. Li Vigni; PerinaldoPerinaldoPerinaldo is a comune in the Province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria, located about 120 km southwest of Genoa and about 30 km west of Imperia....
, Municipal Palace, august-november 1997. - Wonders of the Sea: divinities, monster, legends, dreams, illusions and discoveries in the history of Sea travelling (Mari delle meraviglie: divinità, mostri, utopie, leggende, sogni, illusioni e scoperte, nella storia del viaggio marittimo in Occidente), with F. Cardini, G. Costa, G. De Turris, C. Gatto Trocchi, P. A. Rossi, C. Widmann et al.; ComacchioComacchioComacchio is a town and comune of Emilia Romagna, Italy, in the province of Ferrara, 48 km from the provincial capital Ferrara.-Geography:...
, Bellini Palace, october 1995 - january 1996. - The three jewels of Mediterranean Sea. Ritual objects of hebrews, christian and muslims (I tre gioielli del Mediterraneo. Oggetti rituali e paramenti sacri ebraici, cristiani ed islamici), with D. Liscia-Bemporad, F. Cardini, S. Noja Noseda, F. Patruno; Finale EmiliaFinale EmiliaFinale Emilia is a comune in the Province of Modena in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 35 km north of Bologna and about 35 km northeast of Modena...
, Castle, september-october 2000. - Vine and Wine in the card games and playing cards (La vite e il vino: giochi di carta e carte da gioco), with M. G. Lungarotti, F. Cardini, C. Gatto Trocchi, D. Domini, A. Vitali; TorgianoTorgianoTorgiano is a comune in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 10 km southeast of Perugia.Torgiano borders the following municipalities: Bastia Umbra, Bettona, Deruta, Perugia.- History :...
, ex S. Antonio's Church, november 1999 - january 2000. - The Catholic InquisitionInquisitionThe Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
(L’Inquisizione, Santa, Romana e Universale), with F. Cardini; Finale Emilia, Castle, september - october 2001. - The Sons of AbrahamAbrahamAbraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
. JudaismJudaismJudaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, ChristianismChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and IslamIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in Ritual Objects and Art, (I figli di Abramo. Ebraismo, Cristianesimo, Islam), with D. Liscia Bemporad, L. Volpi, M. Bargna; AbbiategrassoAbbiategrassoAbbiategrasso is a comune and town in the province of Milan, Italian region of Lombardy, situated in the Po valley approximately 22 km from Milan and 38 km from Pavia.- History :The town dates from Roman times...
, Visconti Castle, march 2004. - The XVIIth Century in BolognaBolognaBologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
. BaroqueBaroqueThe Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
culture, industry and popular life (Il Seicento a Bologna: cultura barocca, industria e vita quotidiana), with U. Mazzone, A. Vitali, S. Arieti et al.; Bologna, D'Accursio Palace, may 2004. - Chronicles and Wonders of the Sea. Covers of illustrated Magazines from 1840 to 1960 (Cronache e meraviglie di mare nelle copertine di riviste illustrate: 1840-1960), with M. A. Stoico, G. Costa e S. Alligo; CesenaticoCesenaticoCesenatico is a port town with about 20,000 inhabitants on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It is located in the province of Forlì-Cesena in the region of Emilia-Romagna, about 30 km south of Ravenna...
, Marine Museum, December 2005. - In the House of Andrea MantegnaAndrea MantegnaAndrea Mantegna was an Italian painter, a student of Roman archeology, and son in law of Jacopo Bellini. Like other artists of the time, Mantegna experimented with perspective, e.g., by lowering the horizon in order to create a sense of greater monumentality...
. Artistic culture in Mantova during the XV century (A casa di Andrea Mantegna. Cultura artistica a Mantova nel Quattrocento), with R. Signorini et al.; Mantova, House of Mantegna, september-october 2006. - FerraraFerraraFerrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
: his history from a collection of maps (Ferrara:la storia del suo territorio in una collezione di mappe e vedute dal XV al XXI secolo), with A. Alberghini; Ferrara, Palace Renée of France, september 2008. - Mathers and Lands: mistery and sacrality (Madri e Terre: Mistero e Sacralità), with A. Marini, M. Bargna, L. Volpi; Abbiategrasso, Annunciata's Church, october - november 2008.
- The Castle of FortuneFortuneFortune may refer to:General concepts* Luck, a chance happening, or that which happens beyond a person's controls* Wealth, an abundance of items of economic value* Prophecy, the prediction of future events...
: the search of good luck in the centuries (Il Castello della Fortuna: trenta secoli alla ricerca della Buona Sorte), with A. Marini, M. Bargna, L. Volpi; Abbiategrasso, Visconti Castle, october – november 2009. - The Castle of Delights: tables and foods from antiquity to modern times (Il Castello delle Delizie: il mondo a tavola dall’antichità all’epoca moderna), with A. Marini, M. Bargna, L. Volpi; Abbiategrasso, Visconti Castle, october – november 2010.
Tarot exhibits and catalogues
Together with Andrea Vitali, Middle Age historian and President of the Associazione Le Tarot (FaenzaFaenza
Faenza is an Italian city and comune, in the province of Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, situated 50 km southeast of Bologna.Faenza is noted for its manufacture of majolica ware glazed earthenware pottery, known from the name of the town as "faience"....
, Italy), and Michael Dummett
Michael Dummett
Sir Michael Anthony Eardley Dummett FBA D.Litt is a British philosopher. He was, until 1992, Wykeham Professor of Logic at the University of Oxford...
, a British philosopher, Berti organized various exhibits on the History and Art of Tarot:
- Este Castle of Ferrara (from December 1987 to February 1988),
- City Archeological Museum of Bologna (Bologna, December 1994),
- National Museum of Castel Sant'AngeloCastel Sant'AngeloThe Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as the Castel Sant'Angelo, is a towering cylindrical building in Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family...
, Rome, March 1995), - Barolo Palace (TurinTurinTurin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, April 1997).
With Vitali, Berti also published some important catalogues:
- Tarocchi. Gioco e magia alla Corte degli EsteEsteThe House of Este is a European princely dynasty. It is split into two branches; the elder is known as the House of Welf-Este or House of Welf historically rendered in English, Guelf or Guelph...
nsi (Bologna, Nuova Alfa Editorale, 1987) - Tarocchi. Le carte del destino (Faenza, Edizioni Le Tarot, 1988)
- Tarocchi. Art and Magic (Faenza, Le Tarot, 1994).
Historical studies about tarot
In addition to the tarot exhibition catalogues, Berti published a lot of studies on tarot and card games history for the Italian editor Lo Scarabeo of Turin:- Tarocchi Rider-Waite. Storia, riti iniziatici e pratiche divinatorie di Arthur Edward WaiteArthur Edward WaiteArthur Edward Waite was a scholarly mystic who wrote extensively on occult and esoteric matters, and was the co-creator of the Rider-Waite Tarot deck. As his biographer, R.A...
, with Rossella Ferrero (1993, in Italian). - Antichi Tarocchi Bolognesi, with M. Chiesa and G. Crippa (1995, in Italian).
- Antichi Tarocchi Liguri-Piemontesi, with M. Chiesa and T. Depaulis (1995, in Italian).
- Antichi Tarocchi Milanesi, with M. Chiesa (1995, in Italian).
- The Sola-Busca Tarot, with M. Chiesa and S. Di Vincenzo (1995, in Italian).
- Egyptian Tarot, with T. Gonard (1997, in Italian, English and German).
- Antichi Tarocchi Marsigliesi, with T. Gonard (1998, in Italian).
- ViscontiHouse of ViscontiVisconti is the family name of two important Italian noble dynasties of the Middle Ages. There are two distinct Visconti families: The first one in the Republic of Pisa in the mid twelfth century who achieved prominence first in Pisa, then in Sardinia where they became rulers of Gallura...
Tarot, with T. Gonard (1998, in Italian, English, German and Dutch). - Tarocchi di Aleister CrowleyAleister CrowleyAleister Crowley , born Edward Alexander Crowley, and also known as both Frater Perdurabo and The Great Beast, was an influential English occultist, astrologer, mystic and ceremonial magician, responsible for founding the religious philosophy of Thelema. He was also successful in various other...
, with R. Negrini and R. Tebani (1999, in Italian). - Tarot of the New Vision, with T. Gonard (2005, in Italian and English).
- History of Tarot. Trues and Legends about the most mysterious Cards on the World (2007, in Italian).
New Tarot Decks
Berti wrote, also, numerous reviews on Tarot of modern artists and himself invented new Tarot decks realized by great artists:- Celtic Tarot (1994), 78 illustrations by Giacinto Gaudenzi.
- Celtic Tarot (1994), with Bepi Vigna, 78 illustrations by Antonio Lupatelli.
- Enchanted Tarot (1995), 78 illustrations by Giacinto Gaudenzi.
- DanteDANTEDelivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the various national research and education networks in Europe and surrounding regions...
's Tarot (2001), 78 illustrations by Andrea Serio. - Ramses. Tarot of Eternity (2003), 78 illustrations by Severino Baraldi.
- Golden Tarot of Renaissance - Estensi Tarot (2003), 78 illustrations by Jo Dworkin.
- BacchusDionysusDionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
Tarot (2005), 78 illustrations by Luigi Scapini. - VeniceVeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
Tarot (2007), 78 illustrations by Davide Tonato. - Angels Tarot (2007), 78 illustrations by Arturo Picca.
- Universal Wirth Tarot (2007), 78 illustrations by Stefano Palumbo.
- Initiatory Tarot of the Golden DawnHermetic Order of the Golden DawnThe Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was a magical order active in Great Britain during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which practiced theurgy and spiritual development...
(2008), 78 illustrations by Patrizio Evangelisti.
Other studies
Apart from tarot studies, Giordano Berti wrote some historical books about different themes of western spirituality. Below are some of the most important works:- HellHellIn many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
's Visions. Sins and Tortures in the Art of Middle Age (1991) - Archangels: History and Legends (1997)
- The Heretics (1997)
- Dictionary of Christian Religion (1997) (ItalianItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
) - The Other WorldOther WorldThe Otherworld is a concept in Celtic mythology, referring to a realm of the dead, the home of the deities or spirits....
and AfterlifeAfterlifeThe afterlife is the belief that a part of, or essence of, or soul of an individual, which carries with it and confers personal identity, survives the death of the body of this world and this lifetime, by natural or supernatural means, in contrast to the belief in eternal...
(1998, in Italian, French, Japanese and Polish) - Dictionary of Mystics (1999)
- PrayersPrayersis an anime set in the year 2014 where the young of Japan have rebelled against the government for segregating Shibuya and declared themselves to be independent of Japan...
of all the World (1999) - Oriental Religions in the Western World (2000)
- EnochEnoch (ancestor of Noah)Enoch is a figure in the Generations of Adam. Enoch is described as Adam's greatx4 grandson , the son of Jared, the father of Methuselah, and the great-grandfather of Noah...
(2000) - History of DivinationDivinationDivination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...
(2005) - History of WitchcraftWitchcraftWitchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
(2010)
External links
- Personal web page
- Article about Giordano Berti on Tarotpedia
- Biographical news about Giordano Berti on Trionfi.com
- Article about Giordano Berti on Istituto Graf.org
- Article about Dante Tarot by Giordano Berti, review by Diane Wilkes
- Bibographical notes about Giordano Berti on Mondadori
- Books written by Giordano Berti on Il Giardino dei Libri
- Article by Giordano Berti about Dante and Islam