The Italian city of Florence needs no presentation: it is a synonym for art, history and timeless beauty.
Passione Playing Cards is proud to present to you Florentia, the project of custom playing cards celebrating the birthplace of the Renaissance—passionately designed by Elettra Deganello.
3 stunning versions are available
- Florentia Antica Playing Cards
- Florentia Nova Playing Cards
- And the special Florentia Player's Edition Playing Cards.
Florentia Antica ("antica" means 'ancient' in Italian) and Florentia Nova ("nova" translates to 'new') represent two different visions on the same concept: to overwhelm collectors and playing cards lovers with a notable abundance of breathtaking art, history and beauty... just like the city of Florence does with its visitors.
Both the Florentia Antica and Florentia Nova Playing Cards are fully-custom with two totally different back design, court cards, Aces and Jokers - for a total of 36 meticulously hand-drawn figures in each.
Florentia Nova Playing Cards
Florentia Nova (holographic foil on the box + yellow neon ink touches inside) instead was born as a free and dynamic artistic expression, without constraints or fear of the contrasts between ancient (or classical) and modern..
The back design combines a clean geometric basis with dynamic elements. Its beating heart is the coat of arms of the Medici family, which is supported by two cherubs and surrounded both by a dancing ribbon and a laurel leaves frame.
The Jokers of Florentia Nova are Leonardo Da Vinci - he needs no introduction: a 360 degrees genius in many fields - and the "Porcellino" (Italian "piglet"). This figure is the main subject of THE Florence fountain par excellence, which is linked to good fortune according to a special popular tradition that will be soon presented in our project updates.
Florentia Antica Playing Cards
Florentia Antica (purple foil on the box + gold metallic ink touches inside) represents a classical and elegant vision of Florence. Touches of gold enrich the detailed black and white illustrations.
Depicted in Florentia Antica, you can find important historical figures from Florence; as concerns the all custom aces, they represent some of the most iconic sculptures and monuments that you'd admire when visiting Florence - especially the so-called 'Loggia dei Lanzi'.
Elettra Deganello, the author, explains the two decks this way: "Florentia Antica represents a classic and balanced vision of beauty, in which architecture and rationality play a predominant role."
The Jokers of Florentia Antica are Giotto, one of the most famous Italian painters and architects (legend says he was able to draw a perfect circle by hand) and the "Marzocco", the heraldic lion and symbol of the city of Florence.
Main decks: Antica (e), Nova) and Aeterna (limited edition containing all 55+55 cards from both decks). Printed by USPCC.
Florentia Player's Edition Playing Cards
Florentia Player's Edition is the newest addition to the Florentia Project: designed for everyday use, it sports semi-custom court cards and represents the last incarnation of the Florentia concept devised by Elettra Deganello since the beginning.
The courts have been designed by Giordano Loddo and are a variation of the "standard" Passione Playing Cart courts, of course adapted to match the theme and the style.
For the most avid playing card collectors: there is a one-of-a-kind limited edition version available as well. Florentia Aeterna Playing Cards are printed by the USPCC, and contain all 110 playing cards from both the Florentia Nova and Florentia Antica decks.