The Merry Lives of the Saints – Vintage Italian Deck by Cuore (1993)

A rare and satirical collectible deck published in Italy in 1993 by the newspaper Cuore, known for its witty and irreverent cultural humor.
Titled Le Allegre Vite dei Santi (“The Merry Lives of the Saints”), this poker-sized deck presents 54 vividly illustrated cards — including Catholic saints, angels, and devotional imagery, rendered in a bright and naïve vintage style.

Despite its devotional imagery, the set was produced with a touch of humor, in line with the satirical tone of Cuore magazine — making it both a religious curiosity and a pop-culture collectible of early 1990s Italy.

🔹 Publisher: Cuore (Italy)
🔹 Year: 1993
🔹 Complete: 54 cards (including 2 Jokers)
🔹 Size: 3½ × 2½ in (approx. 88 × 63 mm)
🔹 Language: Italian
🔹 Condition: 2 cards show minor marks consistent with box wear; rest in good condition; box visibly worn as pictured

🪶 Collector’s Note

This unusual Italian deck stands at the crossroads between religious iconography and post-modern satire — a charming paradox typical of 1990s Italian design culture.
Out of print and scarcely found today, Le Allegre Vite dei Santi is a whimsical relic of Catholic imagery filtered through the ironic lens of Cuore, ideal for collectors of vintage Italian decks, religious ephemera, or subversive pop art editions.

My shop's location is in France.
▲ Tracking number will be provided.
▲ Order processing Time: 2-5 business days.
▲ Delivery Time: 7 days to 5 weeks+ — (USA: average 10–14 days)
▲ NO REFUNDS due to shipping delays. Please, kindly DO NOT PURCHASE if you cannot give it 5+WEEKS
▲ Vintage items are typically over 20 yrs old. Please, DO NOT expect them to be new.

If you have any questions, you can always reach me at rolandfabre@gmail.com