The towers symbolize the three citadels of San Marino (La Guaita, La Cesta and La Montale), while the hills represent the three summits of the Monte Titano.
It is one of the three towers depicted on both the national flag and coat of arms.
He studied esotericism and symbolism with Stanislas de Guaita and in 1889 he created, under the guidance of de Guaita, a cartomantic Tarot consisting only of the twenty-two major arcana.
De Guaita became interested in occultism after reading a novel by Joséphin Péladan which was interwoven with Rosicrucian and occult themes.