22 major/56 minor
![[back design]](http://www.learntarot.com/tgback.gif)
![[Fortuna]](http://www.learntarot.com/tgmaj14.gif)
![[Ace of Coins]](http://www.learntarot.com/tgsa.gif)
Giorgio Tavaglione is an Italian illustrator and scholar of esoteric studies. In creating the Stairs of Gold Tarot, he was inspired by these words from Dante's Paradiso, "I saw a stair the color of gold, on which shone a ray of Sun, which raised itself so high that my eyes could not see the top...." He sees the tarot cards as the steps of a staircase leading from creation/birth upward to ultimate realization. The cards in this deck are lavish and detailed with ornate borders and figures. Each of the major arcana cards has 11 different symbols and identifiers incorporated into its design. These show the esoteric correspondences for each card. The titles and descriptions are in Italian. The instruction booklet has been translated into English and is written in Tavaglione's own calligraphy.
| Number of Cards | Size | Copyright | Card Back Design |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78 22 major/56 minor |
2 3/4" x 5 3/16" | 1980 | |
Language of Card Titles: Italian
Style of Suit Cards (2-10): suit symbols
Also Included: instruction booklet, title card
Major Arcana:
Fool, Magician, Popess, Empress, Emperor, Pope,
Lover, Chariot, Fortitude (Card 11), Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Justice (Card 8),
Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, Devil, Tower, Stars, Moon,
Sun, Judgement, World
Suit Names: Staves (Wands), Cups, Swords, Coins (Pentacles)
Court Cards: King, Queen, Knight, Page
SAMPLE CARD IMAGES:
![[Ten of Staves]](http://www.learntarot.com/tgw10.gif)
![[Ace of Coins]](http://www.learntarot.com/tgpa.gif)
![[Three of Cups]](http://www.learntarot.com/tgc3.gif)
Reference - The Encyclopedia of Tarot: Volume 3 by Stuart Kaplan, pgs. 80, 634, 637
