Il Meneghello

I am not sure it’s possible to do justice to the wonder that is Il Meneghello’s shop with a Unilocal review, but I will try. I came across the shop while doing some Milano research and had this triple underlined as a must visit. If you’re interested in tarot or astrology, or even just as an art lover, you will really appreciate this beautiful shop. Il Meneghello is both the shop operator and the artist behind all the beautiful tarot decks and other treasures here. I would encourage anyone to slow down and chat with him, not only to learn about his work, but also because he is a very lovely and interesting man.
Il Meneghello is an artist that has a love of antique, even ancient, tarot art. He references the old decks, largely but not exclusively Italian in origin, and then repaints them himself and prints limited edition runs. The work is beyond stunning. Each deck is stamped with Meneghello’s seal and includes a card with information and its series number inside. There are a select number of pieces that are not stamped, according to Il Meneghello because they were taken from woodblock or other types of artwork that did not require him to create new paintings for the reproductions.
The best thing about the shop is that you can look through nearly every deck that is for sale. Il Meneghello has them all laid out beautifully and you are allowed to open any that strikes your fancy and look through the cards (which I would encourage!). In addition to tarot decks, there are also some beautiful tarot card boxes (also made by Il Meneghello), bookplate labels, and some other odd pieces.
Most decks run 30 euro, original Meneghello decks are closer to 90 euro, and everything is worth each centessimo. Please know this place is cash only, but there are two banks around the corner. I didn’t know this when I visited and Meneghello actually closed the shop for me and escorted me arm-​in-​arm to the bank. Perfect place for tarot enthusiasts or just to get a truly special Italian-​made souvenir.