Bergamo is a north Italian city full of culture and history. Like every self-respecting Italian province, we have our own dialect: a language lost to the mountains and valleys.
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The Province of Bergamo (Lombardy) in the 18th century
This project is close to my heart as the only one centred on my origins, and my hometown. 34 languages are spoken within the Italian peninsula, most of them are local dialects and in danger of disappearing forever.
The Bergamasche dialect is no different. It is a Lombard language spoken exclusively in the city of Bergamo, and apart for a few words which have managed to make their way into every day speech, many of the younger generations neither speak it nor understand it.
When I designed this card game, I was thinking not only of an opportunity for me to reconnect with my roots, but of younger family members who never had the chance to learn their own dialect.
'mparà ol Bergamasch is a card matching game. The player has to pair the images with the words or expressions.
The city of Bergamo's coat of arms has remained virtually unchanged since it was given to the city by Emperor Francis II in 1817. The original colours have stayed the same since the 15th century and they are an important part of its citizens' identities
More interesting inspirations:
Arlecchino (tr: harlequin) is the most famous mask in the Commedia dell'arte theatre which became popular in the late 18th century. It was originally from Bergamo and I have used him as inspiration for the card backs and packaging.
The game of Scopa (tr: broom) is played throughout Italy. The deck of 40 cards can be found in 17 different regional variations. Above is an example of Bergamasche cards, which I used as inspiration for the colour scheme and card size.
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