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Born on the 2nd of March 1952 in Faenza (Ravenna - Italy), graduated in classical studies at the University of Bologna, after a post-graduate degree in musicology, Andrea Vitali attended the School of Archivist, Palaeography and Diplomacy at the State Archives in Bologna.
After many years of teaching and after having being director of a public library, he studied Medieval and Renaissance symbolism and iconology, his greatest fields of interest since always, with a particular attention to religious festivities and triumphal procession structure.
In 1984, he founded the Cultural Association “Le Tarot”, an organism aimed at studies and historical research on hermetic and symbolic disciplines and composed of University teachers and international academics.
As President of the Association “Le Tarot”, he personally took care of the historical-scientific plans of the most important exhibitions held in Italy and Europe about the symbolic universe of the tarots. Known as an authority on historical tarots iconography by the international scientific community, he published several essays about iconology, translated in six languages, which are considered as essential documents for a historical-allegoric comprehension of Triumphs.
Andrea Vitali gave lectures on medieval symbolism and allegorical iconology of Triumphs in many university in Italy and abroad. On September 1995 he was invited to participate as lecturer by the International Playing-Card Society and by the Guildhall Library in London for the congress about Triumph playing-cards in relation to medieval symbolism about the Holy Bible, the surviving of ancient gods during the Middle Ages and Renaissance and the Hermetic thought.
In his Origines et Histoire du Tarot (Ed. Envol, Toulouse, 1997), Alain-Jacques Bougearel wrote about him “A ma connaissance, Andrea Vitali est, de tous les tarologues contemporains, le medieviste le plus pertinent” (page 21).
He worked as a symbolism consultant for the movie about tarots “The Raimbow’s Thief” directed by Alejandro Jodorowski, with Peter O’Toole and Omar Sharif, designated by the Italian distributor.
His essays and scientific contributions have been published by Nuova Alfa Editoriale, Electa, Le Tarot, Il Meneghello and Martina Editions-Bologna.
Many times he participated as a guest to Italian television broadcasts, talk shows and other programmes both on public and private networks:
Pronto è La Rai? Rai Uno
Dove sono I Pirenei? Rai Tre
Maurizio Costanzo Show Canale 5
Cronaca in Diretta Rai Due
Società e Costume Rai Due
Speciale Tg1 Rai Uno
Borders Italia Uno
Libri in Onda Rai International
His interviews, articles and contributions appeared on daily-weekly newspapers and specialized magazines well-known both in Italy and abroad: Panorama, L’Europeo, Gioia, Famiglia Cristiana, Oggi, Grand Hotel, Capital, Historia, Il Piacere, Zoom, Ciga Hotel Magazine, Italy Italy, Illustrazione Italiana, La Repubblica, Il Resto del Carlino, Il Sole 24 Ore, La Stampa, Il Corriere della Sera, Il Messaggero, Haagsche Courant, Suddeutsche Zeitung, etc.
Publications
In addition to the following works, Andrea Vitali has written more than one hundred articles published in historical-scientific journals, in national and European weeklies and dailies. He contributes to Secreta, a monthly magazine of hermetic and mystery culture (Olimpia Editions)
Il Castello dei Tarocchi
The Castle of Tarots
Edited by Andrea Vitali.
Essays by Giordano Berti, Alain Bougearel, Franco Cardini, Ross Sinclair Caldwell, Thierry Depaulis, Gerardo Lonardoni, Alberto Milano, Lothar Teikemeier, Giovanni Tesio, Bepi Vigna, Andrea Vitali, Girolamo Zorli.
Italian Edition.
Lo Scarabeo Editions, Turin, 2010.
Tarots: History, Art, Magic, from the 15th to 20th Century
Tarocchi: Storia, Arte, Magia, dal XV al XX Secolo
Essays by Andrea Vitali and Terry Zanetti.
Italian and English Edition.
Le Tarot Editions, Faenza, 2006.
Il Tarocchino di Bologna. Storia, Iconografia, Divinazione. Dal XV al XX secolo
Tarocchino of Bologna. History, Iconography, Prophecy. From the 15th - 20th Century
Essays by Andrea Vitali and Terry Zanetti.
Italian Edition.
Martina Editions, Bologna, 2005.
ISBN 88-7572-024-X
Visconti-Sforza Tarots. Milan - 15th Century
I Tarocchi Visconti-Sforza, Milano - XV Secolo
Essay by Andrea Vitali.
Italian, English, French and German Edition.
Il Meneghello Editions, Milan, 1996.
Tarocchi: Arte e Magia
Tarots: Art and Magic
Edited by Andrea Vitali and Giordano Berti.
Essays by Andrea Ascari, Giordano Berti, Monica Canducci, Franco Cardini, Mons. Lorenzo Dattrino, Pietro Marsilli, Paolo Aldo Rossi, Andrea Vitali.
Italian Edition.
Le Tarot Editions, Faenza, 1994.
I Tarocchi di Gianmaria Potenza. Le arcane radici dell’Albero della Vita
Gianmaria Potenza’s Tarots - The mysterious origins of the Tree of Life
Edited by Grigore Arbore Popescu.
Essays by Andrea Ascari, Monica Canducci, Paolo Levi, Grigore Arbore Popescu, Andrea Vitali.
Italian Edition.
Electa Editions, Milan, 1990.
ISBN 88-435-3200-6
Le Carte di Corte. I Tarocchi. Gioco e Magia alla Corte degli Estensi
The Court Cards. Tarot Cards. Game and Magic at the Este Court
Edited by Andrea Vitali and Giordano Berti.
Essays by Giuliana Algeri, Giordano Berti, Marco Bertozzi, Franco Cardini, Claudia Cieri Via, Michael Dummett, Cecilia Gatto-Trocchi, Pietro Marsilli, Daniele Pagliai, Franco Pratesi, Franco Solmi, Alessandra Uguccioni, Andrea Vitali.
Italian Edition.
Nuova Alfa Editoriale, Bologna 1987.
ISBN 88-7779-016-4
Different essays and contributions at links:
Other realized Exhibitions
Martina Editions
Essays by Andrea Vitali
News
To know the activity of Andrea Vitali as art director see the website of his Collection of Early Music "History of Music in Sound" (from Middle Age to Classicism) at link http://www.earlymusiccollection.it/ENG/andreavitali.asp
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