A deck with a sense of place.

Four suits, ten cards each

The Latin-suited Italian deck used in our lessons has coins, cups, swords, and clubs. Every suit runs Ace through 7, followed by Fante, Cavallo, and Re. That makes ten cards per suit and forty in the pack.

The drawings on this site form an original teaching deck. They represent the traditional suits without reproducing a particular manufacturer’s artwork. On a real regional deck, look at the pictures and count the pips; corner numbers may be absent.

Neapolitan cards · Napoletane

Neapolitan-pattern decks are a familiar way to encounter southern Italian card imagery: compact cards, bold colors, recognizable coins and cups, and illustrated court figures. The pattern uses the Latin suits, with a rider rather than a queen.

Choosing Napoletane gives you a visual language close to the one taught here. Individual editions can differ in size, finish, and printing, so inspect the actual listing rather than assuming all Neapolitan decks are identical. Scopa’s ordinary capture rules do not change with the illustration.

Sicilian cards · Siciliane

Sicilian-pattern cards use the same Latin suits and the same forty-card rank structure, with their own distinctive compositions and figure details. The courts and pip arrangements give a Sicilian deck a personality of its own.

If your family recognizes a Sicilian deck, it can be a lovely place to start. You do not need to relearn the game: coins remain coins, a Fante still captures as 8, and a seven still captures as 7. Spend a few minutes identifying each suit before the first deal.

One country, many patterns

“Italian cards” does not name one single artwork style. Regional patterns differ in proportions, sword and baton shapes, costumes, and the use of single-ended or double-ended court figures. Some Italian regional packs use French suits instead of Latin suits. Some packs sold for other games also have different card counts.

A regional label tells you about a pattern, not a new set of Scopa rules. Confirm that a pack contains the forty ranks needed for your game. Read more about identifying an Italian deck.

What to look for when buying

• Card count: 40 cards, with ten ranks in each of four suits.
• Pattern: choose Neapolitan, Sicilian, or another pattern you enjoy and can read.
• Legibility: inspect a product image showing several pips and court figures, not just the box.
• Size and finish: check the stated dimensions and material. Think about the hands and table that will use them.
• A complete pack: check the seller’s own description, current shipping details, and return terms before purchasing.

You do not need a premium deck to learn. A clear, complete pack and a willing partner are enough. We do not display unverified prices, ratings, stock claims, or seller images.

Find a deck for your table

These two Modiano decks offer the Neapolitan and Sicilian patterns discussed above. Choose the artwork you enjoy; the standard Scopa rules are the same for both. Check the selected edition, seller, shipping, and return terms on Amazon before ordering.

Our links below are paid affiliate links. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. We have checked the listing identities, but have not personally tested these decks.

Already have a regular deck?

Keep the Aces, 2s through 7s, Jacks, Queens, and Kings. Remove the 8s, 9s, 10s, and jokers. Use diamonds as coins, hearts as cups, spades as swords, and clubs as clubs. Jack is 8, Queen is 9, and King is 10 for capturing.

The seven of diamonds is your settebello. Diamonds count for the most-coins category, and all four French suits count for primiera. Follow our regular-deck setup guide.