Modiano - Sarde Nº 70

7/09/2026

Modiano - Sarde Nº 70

In the early 19th century, several finely engraved and decorated decks were produced in Spain, mostly in Madrid. These stood in sharp contrast to the simplicity and coarseness of the everyday cards of the period. One of the most famous was crafted by Don José Martínez de Castro and published by Clemente Roxas in 1810: the Baraja Neoclásica (Neoclassical deck), which was previously featured on this blog.

These designs were later adopted in Sardinia, where it is now considered the standard local pattern. Within the constraints of modern production methods, these decks remain quite faithful to Roxas’s original offering.

Today, we showcase the Sarde Nº 70 by Modiano, a deck bearing these historic drawings. Other manufacturers also offer very similar, if not identical, designs.

This is an Italian-style 40-card deck with Spanish suits, virtually indistinguishable from many modern Spanish decks. The most obvious differences are the absence of pintas (border breaks) and perhaps the size of the numeric indices, which are somewhat smaller than those typically found on their Iberian counterparts.

The artwork simplifies the original neoclassical designs, reducing the color palette and fine detail. From a practical standpoint, this streamlined approach improves readability, a feature of paramount importance on the gaming table. Thanks to the higher contrast, cleaner lines, and being largely devoid of visual distractions, players can identify the cards more easily.

The fours retain the scenes from the original designs, albeit in a somewhat "censored" version that clothes the characters who appeared naked in the historical rendition.

The ace of Coins represents the most radical departure from the historic artwork. Gone is the heavy ornamentation, replaced by a solitary coin featuring an anthropomorphized sun in the center and the manufacturer's text—“Fabbrica Carte da Giuocco – Modiano S.p.A. Trieste”—running along the edge. Yet, despite standing out from the other aces, it still feels cohesive, anchoring its own suit while complementing the deck's clean aesthetic.

The cards feature a high-quality satin finish, though it lacks the refinement found in decks from industry benchmarks like Heraclio Fournier or Grimaud. Printed on 400 gsm cardstock (according to the manufacturer), they feel remarkably robust and durable, albeit slightly stiff—a trait most noticeable when shuffling. Rather than a criticism, this is merely an observation.

Ultimately, this design stands as a sound evolution of the 19th-century original. The simplified artwork—likely driven by practical manufacturing needs rather than aesthetics—ends up working in its favor, serving as a clear reminder that, sometimes, less truly is more.