Play Empress of Italy Solitaire Online for Free (No Signup Required)

Deal 208 cards across sixteen foundations that all climb from one randomly chosen rank, then work the nineteen-card reserve for a slow, patient win.

Empress of Italy Solitaire is one of the grandest members of the Signora and Colonel family, a group of Canfield-style patiences that scale the classic reserve-and-foundation idea up to four full decks. Where ordinary Canfield gives you one reserve and four foundations, Empress of Italy hands you 208 cards, sixteen foundations, and a nineteen-card reserve, making it a sweeping table that unfolds slowly over many moves.

The defining twist is the base rank. Rather than always starting from the Ace, the first foundation card is chosen at random, and every foundation builds up in alternating colors from that rank, wrapping past the King back around to the Ace. All sixteen foundations must climb thirteen cards to that same starting value, so the whole game is anchored to one lucky card that the deal picks for you.

Below the foundations sit eleven tableau columns that build down in alternating colors, one card at a time. A vacated column does not stay empty for long: it refills automatically from the top of the stock, or from the waste once the stock is spent. With so many cards and a single pass through the stock, Empress of Italy is a patient, deliberate game where reading the reserve early is the surest route to a win.

If you enjoy Empress of Italy, try Double Signora Solitaire and Colonel Solitaire, two more games from the same reserve-driven family, or the original Solitaire for a classic single-deck game.

If you run into anything odd or have an idea that would make the game better, please contact me.

Enjoy playing!

How to play Empress of Italy Solitaire

Layout:

16 foundation piles: Each is seeded with one card. Build up in alternating colors from the starting rank, wrapping from King to Ace as needed, until every pile holds thirteen cards.

11 tableau piles: Build down in alternating colors. Each pile is dealt one card at the start, and only the top card of each is playable.

Reserve: Nineteen cards are dealt here face-up. Only the top card is available for play.

Stock: Click to deal one card at a time to the waste. There are no redeals.

Waste: The top card of the waste is playable.

Foundation:

There are sixteen foundation piles, each pre-seeded with a single card. The rank of that first card is chosen at random and sets the base for the entire game.

A card can be added to a foundation pile only if it's one rank higher and the opposite color of the pile's current top card, wrapping from King to Ace where the base rank requires it. Each pile is complete once it holds thirteen cards.

The top card of each foundation can be moved back into play if another pile will accept it.

Tableau:

Eleven tableau piles of one card each. Every card is dealt face-up, and only the top card of each pile may be moved.

A card can be added to a tableau pile only if it's one rank lower and the opposite color of the pile's current top card, so the only card that fits on an 8 of spades is a 7 of hearts or a 7 of diamonds.

Only one card may be moved at a time; sequences are not permitted. Any card may fill an empty column.

Empty columns are refilled automatically from the top of the stock, or from the waste once the stock is empty.

Reserve:

There is one reserve of nineteen cards, all dealt face-up. No card may be moved into the reserve. Its top card can be played to a tableau pile or a foundation.

Stock and waste:

The remaining cards make up the stock. When you click the stock, one card is dealt to the waste. There's only one pass through the stock.

The top card of the waste may be played to the tableau or the foundation.