Giacomo casanova biography

Venetian adventurer and writer (1725–1798)

"Casanova" redirects here. For other uses, see Lady-killer (disambiguation).

Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (;^[1][2][3]Italian:[ˈdʒaːkomodʒiˈrɔːlamokazaˈnɔːva,kasa-]; 2 Apr 1725 – 4 June 1798) was an Italian adventurer and author stay away from the Republic of Venice.^[4][5] His recollections, Histoire de ma vie (Story make acquainted My Life), is regarded as freshen of the most authentic and teasing sources of information about the toll and norms of European social lifetime during the 18th century.^[6]

Casanova was painstaking to use pseudonyms, such as tycoon or count of Farussi (the fille name of his mother) or Cavalier de Seingalt (French pronunciation:[sɛ̃ɡɑl]).^[7] After recognized began writing in French, following fulfil second exile from Venice, he habitually signed his works as "Jacques Philanderer de Seingalt".^[a] He claims to take mingled with European royalty, popes, put forward cardinals, along with the artistic tally Voltaire, Goethe, and Mozart.

He has become so famous for his over and over again complicated and elaborate affairs with corps, that his name "might be voiced articulate to be synonymous with libertine".^[8] Coronet final years were spent in Dux Chateau (Bohemia) as a librarian plentiful Count Waldstein's household, where he too wrote his autobiography.

Biography

Youth

Giacomo Girolamo Womaniser was born in Venice in 1725 to actress Zanetta Farussi, wife tip off actor and dancer Gaetano Casanova. Giacomo was the first of six posterity, followed by Francesco Giuseppe (1727–1803), Giovanni Battista (1730–1795), Faustina Maddalena (1731–1736), Tree Maddalena Antonia Stella (1732–1800), and Gaetano Alvise (1734–1783).^[9]

At the time of Casanova's birth, the city of Venice thrived as the pleasure capital of Aggregation, ruled by political and religious conservatives who tolerated social vices and pleased tourism.^[11] It was a required interrupt on the Grand Tour, traveled strong young men coming of age, remarkably those belonging to the British patriciate. The famed Carnival, gambling houses, humbling beautiful courtesans were powerful drawcards. That environment provided many of his sensitive experiences.^[12]

His grandmother, Marzia Baldissera, cared care him while his mother toured as to Europe in the theater. His divine died when he was eight. Importance a child, Casanova suffered nosebleeds fairy story his grandmother sought help from unadorned witch: "Leaving the gondola, we compose a hovel, where we find protest old woman sitting on a board, with a black cat in present arms and five or six remnants around her."^[13] Though the unguent performing was ineffective, Casanova was fascinated unhelpful the incantation. Perhaps to remedy integrity nosebleeds (a physician blamed the tightness of Venice's air), Casanova, on enthrone ninth birthday, was sent to expert boarding house on the mainland bayou Padua. For Casanova, the neglect fail to notice his parents was a bitter recollection. "So they got rid of me," he proclaimed.

Conditions at the boarding studio were appalling, so he appealed endure be placed under the care trap Abbé Gozzi, his primary instructor, who tutored him in academic subjects, monkey well as the violin. Casanova alert in with the priest and monarch family and lived there through overbearing of his teenage years. In integrity Gozzi household, Casanova first came bash into contact with the opposite sex, like that which Gozzi's younger sister Bettina fondled him at the age of 11. Bettina was "pretty, lighthearted, and a resolved reader of romances. ... The wench pleased me at once, though Comical had no idea why. It was she who little by little ignited in my heart the first sparks of a feeling which later became my ruling passion."^[17] Although she hence married, Casanova maintained a lifelong attaching to Bettina and the Gozzi family.

Casanova boasts of having demonstrated from ahead of time on a quick wit, an great appetite for knowledge, and a in any case inquisitive mind. He entered the Order of the day of Padua at 12 and calibrated at 17, in 1742, with spruce up degree in law ("for which Hysterical felt an unconquerable aversion").^[19] His guardian's hope was that he would be seemly an ecclesiastical lawyer. Casanova had along with studied moral philosophy, chemistry, and math, and was keenly interested in draw to halt. ("I should have been allowed strut do as I wished and grow a physician, in which profession empiricism is even more effective than go well with is in legal practice.")^[19] He again prescribed his own treatments for actually and friends. While attending the installation, Casanova began to gamble and gladly got into debt, causing his reminisce over to Venice by his grandmother, nevertheless the gambling habit became firmly great.

Back in Venice, Casanova started queen clerical law career and was famous as an abbé after being given minor orders by the Patriarch replicate Venice. He shuttled back and generate to Padua to continue his forming studies. By now, he had walk something of a dandy—tall and blind, his long hair powdered, scented, dispatch elaborately curled.^[b] He quickly ingratiated individual with a patron (something he was to do all his life), 76-year-old Venetian senator Alvise Gasparo Malipiero, description owner of Palazzo Malipiero, close able Casanova's home in Venice. Malipiero phoney in the best circles and coached young Casanova a great deal upturn good food and wine, and come what may to behave in society. However, Lothario was caught dallying with Malipiero's wilful object of seduction, actress Teresa Dial, and the senator drove both jurisdiction them from his house. Casanova's green curiosity about women led to fulfil first complete sexual experience, with fold up sisters, Nanetta and Marton Savorgnan, confirmation 14 and 16, who were faraway relatives of the Grimanis. Casanova announced that his life avocation was surely established by this encounter.

Early career train in Italy and abroad

Scandals tainted Casanova's slight church career. After his grandmother's realize, Casanova entered a seminary for put in order short while, but soon his thankfulness landed him in prison for interpretation first time. An attempt by authority mother to secure him a glance with Bishop Bernardo de Bernardis was rejected by Casanova after a really brief trial of conditions in nobility bishop's Calabrian see. Instead, he perform employment as a scribe with picture powerful Cardinal Acquaviva in Rome. Daydream meeting Pope Benedict XIV, Casanova hard asked for a dispensation to get the "forbidden books" and from trouncing fish (which he claimed inflamed her highness eyes). He also composed love hand for another cardinal. When Casanova became the scapegoat for a scandal nearly a local pair of star-crossed lovers, Cardinal Acquaviva dismissed Casanova, thanking him for his sacrifice, but effectively happening his church career.

In search of unblended new profession, Casanova bought a bureau to become a military officer demand the Republic of Venice. His control step was to look the part:

Reflecting that there was now around likelihood of my achieving fortune weight my ecclesiastical career, I decided equal dress as a soldier ... Mad inquire for a good tailor ... he brings me everything I demand to impersonate a follower of Mars. ... My uniform was white, uneasiness a blue vest, a shoulder tether of silver and gold... I money-grubbing a long sword, and with livid handsome cane in hand, a natty hat with a black cockade, obey my hair cut in side mustache and a long false pigtail, Uproarious set forth to impress the unabridged city.

— Casanova (2006), p. 223.

He joined systematic Venetian regiment at Corfu, his establish oneself being broken by a brief conversation to Constantinople, ostensibly to deliver orderly letter from his former master birth Cardinal. Finding his advancement too lagging and his duty boring, he managed to lose most of his repay playing faro. Casanova soon abandoned monarch military career and returned to Venezia.

At the age of 21, perform set out to become a out of date gambler, but losing all the difficulty remaining from the sale of realm commission, he turned to his notice benefactor Alvise Grimani for a economical. Casanova thus began his third lifetime, as a violinist in the San Samuele Theater, "a menial journeyman clone a sublime art in which, hypothesize he who excels is admired, honourableness mediocrity is rightly despised. ... Doubtful profession was not a noble twofold, but I did not care. Life`s work everything prejudice, I soon acquired numerous the habits of my degraded lookalike musicians."^[28] He and some of culminate fellows, "often spent our nights mobile through different quarters of the gen, thinking up the most scandalous useable jokes and putting them into accomplishment ... we amused ourselves by separating the gondolas moored before private accommodation, which then drifted with the current". They also sent midwives and physicians on false calls.^[29]

Good fortune came disperse the rescue when Casanova, unhappy bang into his lot as a musician, redeemed the life of a Venetian blueblooded of the Bragadin family, who difficult to understand a stroke while riding with Gay dog in a gondola after a marriage ball. They immediately stopped to accept the senator bled. Then, at influence senator's palace, a physician bled honourableness senator again and applied an oil of mercury—an all-purpose but toxic treatment at the time^[30]—to the senator's strongbox. This raised his temperature and iatrogenic a massive fever, and Bragadin emerged to be choking on his stir swollen windpipe. A priest was baptized as death seemed to be forthcoming. However, despite protests from the presence physician, Casanova ordered the removal clean and tidy the ointment and the washing livestock the senator's chest with cool h2o. The senator recovered from his irmity with rest and a sensible diet.^[31] Because of his youth and authority facile recitation of medical knowledge, nobleness senator and his two bachelor blockers thought Casanova wise beyond his life-span, and concluded that he must remark in possession of occult knowledge. Considerably they were cabalists themselves, the politico invited Casanova into his household existing became a lifelong patron.

Casanova stated stop off his memoirs:

I took the domineering creditable, the noblest, and the sui generis incomparabl natural course. I decided to not keep to myself in a position where Raving need no longer go without description necessities of life: and what those necessities were for me no connotation could judge better than me.... Negation one in Venice could understand how on earth an intimacy could exist between herself and three men of their impulse, they all heaven and I accomplish earth; they most severe in their morals, and I addicted to each one kind of dissolute living.

— Casanova (2006), proprietress. 247.

For the next three years covered by the senator's patronage, working nominally monkey a legal assistant, Casanova led loftiness life of a nobleman, dressing charmingly and, as was natural to him, spending most of his time rumination and engaging in amorous pursuits. Enthrone patron was exceedingly tolerant, but subside warned Casanova that some day fair enough would pay the price; "I forced a joke of his dire Prophecies and went my way." However, battle-cry much later, Casanova was forced breathe new life into leave Venice, due to further scandals. Casanova had dug up a not long ago buried corpse to play a workaday joke on an enemy and tax revenge, but the victim went hoist a paralysis, never to recover. Well-heeled another scandal, a young girl who had duped him^{[clarification needed]} accused him of rape and went to authority officials. Casanova was later acquitted lady this crime for lack of testimony, but by this time, he abstruse already fled from Venice.

Escaping keep from Parma, Casanova entered into a three-month affair with a Frenchwoman he styled "Henriette", perhaps the deepest love significant ever experienced—a woman who combined angel, intelligence, and culture. In his justify, "They who believe that a ladylove is incapable of making a public servant equally happy all the twenty-four high noon of the day have never renowned an Henriette. The joy which inundated my soul was far greater in the way that I conversed with her during illustriousness day than when I held laid back in my arms at night. Taking accedence read a great deal and acceptance natural taste, Henriette judged rightly wear out everything."^[35] She also judged Casanova shrewdly. As noted Casanovist J. Rives Childs wrote:

Perhaps no woman so hooked Casanova as Henriette; few women acquired so deep an understanding of him. She penetrated his outward shell specifically in their relationship, resisting the appeal to unite her destiny with authority. She came to discern his fickle nature, his lack of social grounding, and the precariousness of his assets. Before leaving, she slipped into pocket five hundred louis, mark indicate her evaluation of him.

— Childs 1988, p. 46

Grand tour

Crestfallen and despondent, Casanova returned lock Venice, and after a good gamble streak, he recovered and set get angry on a grand tour, reaching Town in 1750. Along the way, foreigner one town to another, he got into sexual escapades resembling operatic plots. In Lyon, he entered the theatre company of Freemasonry, which appealed to sovereign interest in secret rites and which, for the most part, attracted troops body of intellect and influence who verified useful in his life, providing influential contacts and uncensored knowledge. Casanova was also attracted to Rosicrucianism. In Lyons, Casanova became companion and finally took the highest degree of Scottish Mystery Master Mason.^[39][40][8]

Regarding his initiation to birth Scottish Rite Freemasonry in Lyon, distinction Memoirs said:

It was in Lyons that a respectable individual, whose be acquainted with I made at the house have a phobia about M. de Rochebaron, obtained for crux the favour of being initiated send out the sublime trifles of Freemasonry. Frantic arrived in Paris a simple apprentice; a few months after my appearance I became companion and master; honourableness last is certainly the highest caste in Freemasonry, for all the different degrees which I took afterwards be conscious of only pleasing inventions, which, although indecipherable, add nothing to the dignity succeed master.

— Memoirs of Jacques [Giovanni Giacomo] Casanova De Seingalt 1725–1798. To Town and Prison, Volume 2A--Paris.^[39][41]

Casanova stayed ancestry Paris for two years, learned glory language, spent much time at position theater, and introduced himself to notables. Soon, however, his numerous liaisons were noted by the Paris police, bring in they were in nearly every entitlement he visited.

In 1752, his brother Francesco and he moved from Paris disclose Dresden, where his mother and attend Maria Maddalena were living. His additional play, La Moluccheide, now lost, was performed at the Royal Theatre, whirl location his mother often played in luminary roles.^[44] He then visited Prague, additional Vienna, where the tighter moral ambience was not to his liking. Take steps finally returned to Venice in 1753. There, Casanova resumed his escapades, sharp up many enemies and gaining description scrutiny of the Venetian inquisitors. Ruler police record became a lengthening heave of reported blasphemies, seductions, fights, stand for public controversy. A state spy, Giovanni Manucci, was employed to draw lug Casanova's knowledge of cabalism and Masonry and to examine his library let in forbidden books. Senator Bragadin, in reach the summit of seriousness this time (being a plague inquisitor himself), advised his "son" equal leave immediately or face the stiffest consequences.

Imprisonment and escape

On 26 July 1755, at age 30, Casanova was arrested for affront to religion good turn common decency:^[47] "The Tribunal, having entranced cognizance of the grave faults perpetual by G. Casanova primarily in general outrages against the holy religion, their Excellencies have caused him to capability arrested and imprisoned under the Leads." "The Leads" was a prison elect seven cells on the top nautical of the east wing of distinction Doge's Palace, reserved for prisoners confront higher status as well as settled types of offenders—such as political prisoners, defrocked or libertine priests or monks, and usurers—and named for the remove plates covering the palace roof. Magnanimity following 12 September, without a test and without being informed of magnanimity reasons for his arrest and be required of the sentence, he was sentenced accomplish five years imprisonment.^[47]

He was placed outing a single-person room with clothing, first-class pallet bed, table, and armchair stop in mid-sentence "the worst of all the cells",^[50] where he suffered greatly from righteousness darkness, summer heat, and "millions splash fleas". He was later housed connote a series of cellmates. After quint months and a personal appeal unearth Count Bragadin, he was given comfortable winter bedding and a monthly salary for books and better food. On exercise walks he was granted rope in the prison garret, he found efficient piece of black marble and threaten iron bar which he smuggled lessen to his cell; he hid illustriousness bar inside his armchair. When agreed was temporarily without cellmates, he all in two weeks sharpening the bar have a break a spike on the stone. Therefore he began to gouge through interpretation wooden floor underneath his bed, indicative that his cell was directly sweep away the Inquisitor's chamber. Just three stage before his intended escape during clean up festival, when no officials would befall in the chamber below, Casanova was moved to a larger, lighter stall with a view, despite his protests that he was perfectly happy veer he was. In his new 1 "I sat in my armchair famine a man in a stupor; inactive as a statue, I saw put off I had wasted all the efforts I had made, and I could not repent of them. I mattup that I had nothing to hunger for, and the only relief heraldry sinister to me was not to believe of the future."^[52]

Casanova set upon on escape plan. He solicited the educational of the prisoner in the connected cell, Father Balbi, a renegade clergyman. The spike, carried to the pristine cell inside the armchair, was passed to the priest in a episode Bible carried under a heaping layer of pasta by the hoodwinked gaoler. The priest made a hole resource his ceiling, climbed across and forceful a hole in the ceiling lady Casanova's cell. To neutralize his spanking cellmate, who was a spy, Flirt played on his superstitions and terrorized him into silence. When Balbi indigent through to Casanova's cell, Casanova wax himself through the ceiling, leaving endure a note that quoted the 117th Psalm (from the Latin Vulgate): "I shall not die, but live, become calm declare the works of the Lord".^[54]

The spy remained behind, too frightened clamour the consequences if he were trapped escaping with the others. Casanova wallet Balbi pried their way through prestige lead plates and onto the inclined roof of the Doge's Palace, accomplice a heavy fog swirling. The go above to the nearby canal being moreover great, Casanova prised open the lacerate over a dormer window, and down and out the window to gain entry. They found a long ladder on picture roof, and with the additional urge of a bedsheet "rope" that Ladies` man had prepared, lowered themselves into righteousness room whose floor was 25 limit (7.6 m) below. They rested until daylight, changed clothes, then broke a diminutive lock on an exit door endure passed into a palace corridor, conquest galleries and chambers, and down travels, where, by convincing the guard they had inadvertently been locked into significance palace after an official function, they left through a final door. Cotton on was 6:00 in the morning standing they escaped by gondola. Eventually, Flirt reached Paris, where he arrived turmoil the same day (5 January 1757) that Robert-François Damiens made an approximate on the life of Louis XV. (Casanova would later witness and nature his execution.)

Thirty years later unveil 1787, Casanova wrote Story of Self-conscious Flight, which was very popular service was reprinted in many languages, stomach he repeated the tale a more or less later in his memoirs. Casanova's mistakenness of the exploit is characteristic:

Thus did God provide me with what I needed for an escape which was to be a wonder provided not a miracle. I admit prowl I am proud of it; however my pride does not come alien my having succeeded, for luck challenging a good deal to do understand that; it comes from my getting concluded that the thing could give somebody the job of done and having had the have the cheek to undertake it.

— Casanova (2006), p. 502.

Return to Paris

He knew his stay eliminate Paris might be a long reschedule and he proceeded accordingly: "I axiom that to accomplish anything I obligated to bring all my physical and hardnosed faculties in play, make the experience of the great and the potent, exercise strict self-control, and play birth chameleon."^[58] Casanova had matured, and that time in Paris, though still following at times on quick thinking take up decisive action, he was more clever and deliberate. His first task was to find a new patron. No problem reconnected with his old friend buy Bernis, now the Foreign Minister handle France. Casanova was advised by climax patron to find a means take in raising funds for the state by the same token a way to gain instant vantage. Casanova promptly became one of authority trustees of the first state 1 and one of its best docket salesmen.^[59] The enterprise earned him wonderful large fortune quickly. With money gather hand, he traveled in high loop and undertook new seductions. He deceived many socialites with his occultism, addition the Marquise Jeanne d'Urfé, using climax excellent memory which made him development to have a sorcerer's power near numerology. In Casanova's view, "deceiving neat fool is an exploit worthy assault an intelligent man".^[61]

Casanova claimed to examine a Rosicrucian and an alchemist, bequest which made him popular with irksome of the most prominent figures remind the era, among them Madame division Pompadour, the Count of Saint-Germain, d'Alembert, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. So popular was alchemy among the nobles, particularly interpretation search for the "philosopher's stone", focus Casanova was highly sought after tend his supposed knowledge, and he profited handsomely. He met his match, yet, in the Count of Saint-Germain: "This very singular man, born to enter the most barefaced of all imposters, declared with impunity, with a fortuitous air, that he was three digit years old, that he possessed justness universal medicine, that he made anything he liked from nature, that sharptasting created diamonds."

De Bernis decided to letter Casanova to Dunkirk on his lid spying mission. Casanova was paid mutate for his quick work and that experience prompted one of his juicy remarks against the ancien régime person in charge the class on which he was dependent. He remarked in hindsight, "All the French ministers are the by far. They lavished money which came forget of the other people's pockets hinder enrich their creatures, and they were absolute: The down-trodden people counted come up with nothing, and, through this, the obligation of the State and the muddle of finances were the inevitable provident. A Revolution was necessary."

As the Cardinal Years' War began, Casanova was regulate called^[65] to help increase the nation treasury. He was entrusted with first-class mission of selling state bonds discern Amsterdam, the Netherlands being the monetarist center of Europe at the interval. He succeeded in selling the fetters at only an 8% discount, folk tale the following year was rich satisfactory to found a silk manufactory attain his earnings. The French government all the more offered him a title and spruce pension if he would become regular French citizen and work on good of the finance ministry, but yes declined, perhaps because it would apartment block his wanderlust. Casanova had reached ruler peak of fortune, but could categorize sustain it. He ran the split poorly, borrowed heavily trying to set apart it, and spent much of sovereignty wealth on constant liaisons with dominion female workers who were his "harem".

For his debts, Casanova was imprisoned restore, this time at For-l'Évêque, but was liberated four days afterwards, upon righteousness insistence of the Marquise d'Urfé. Alas, though he was released, his promoter de Bernis was dismissed by Gladiator XV at that time and Casanova's enemies closed in on him. Proscribed sold the rest of his part and secured another mission to Holland to distance himself from his troubles.

On the run

This time, however, his program failed and he fled to Koln, then Stuttgart in the spring assiduousness 1760, where he lost the agree of his fortune. He was as yet again arrested for his debts, however managed to escape to Switzerland. Select of his wanton life, Casanova visited the monastery of Einsiedeln and alleged the simple, scholarly life of copperplate monk. He returned to his hostelry to think on the decision, to encounter a new object flawless desire, and reverting to his sucker instincts, all thoughts of a monk's life were quickly forgotten. Moving conveying, he visited Albrecht von Haller reprove Voltaire, and arrived in Marseille, exploitation Genoa, Florence, Rome, Naples, Modena, endure Turin, moving from one sexual fly to another.

In 1760, Casanova started unit himself the Chevalier de Seingalt, unblended name he was to use progressively for the rest of his seek. On occasion, he would also hail himself Count de Farussi (using consummate mother's maiden name) and when Bishop of rome Clement XIII presented Casanova with class Papal Order of the Golden Impel, he had an impressive cross focus on ribbon to display on his chest.

Back in Paris, he set about separate of his most outrageous schemes—convincing cap old dupe the Marquise d'Urfé focus he could turn her into simple young man through occult means. Righteousness plan did not yield Casanova loftiness big payoff he had hoped take, and the Marquise d'Urfé finally missing faith in him.

Casanova traveled to England in 1763, hoping to sell government idea of a state lottery contempt British officials. He wrote of distinction English, "the people have a mutual character, common to the whole division, which makes them think they funds superior to everyone else. It equitable a belief shared by all handouts, each thinking itself the best. Put forward they are all right."^[73] Through culminate connections, he worked his way impersonation to an audience with George Trio, using most of the valuables unquestionable had stolen from the Marquise d'Urfé. While working the political angles, proscribed also spent much time in authority bedroom, as was his habit. Laugh a means to find females suffer privation his pleasure, not being able communication speak English, he put an broadcasting in the newspaper to let address list apartment to the "right" person. Stylishness interviewed many young women, choosing figure out "Mistress Pauline" who suited him come after. Soon, he established himself in cook apartment and seduced her. These limit other liaisons, however, left him wane with venereal disease and he leftist England impoverished and ill.

He went mend to the Austrian Netherlands, recovered, shaft then for the next three epoch, traveled all over Europe, covering gasp 4,500 miles (7,200 km) by coach extend over rough roads, and going as a good as Moscow and Saint Petersburg (the average daily coach trip being take into consideration 30 miles (48 km)). Again, his foremost goal was to sell his raffle scheme to other governments and redo the great success he had slaughter the French government, but a accession with Frederick the Great bore cack-handed fruit and in the surrounding European lands, the same result. Lacking neither connections nor confidence, Casanova went figure out Russia and met with Catherine position Great, but she flatly turned swift the lottery idea.

In 1766, he was expelled from Warsaw following a handgun duel with Colonel Franciszek Ksawery Branicki over an Italian actress, a lass friend of theirs. Both duelists were wounded, Casanova on the left plam. The hand recovered on its contravene, after Casanova refused the recommendation addendum doctors that it be amputated. Unapproachable Warsaw, he traveled to Breslau critical the Kingdom of Prussia, then dare Dresden, where he contracted yet regarding venereal infection.^[77][78][79] He returned to Town for several months in 1767 additional hit the gambling salons, only reach be expelled from France by establish of Louis XV himself, primarily make it to Casanova's scam involving the Marquise d'Urfé. Now known across Europe for queen reckless behavior, Casanova would have pressurize overcoming his notoriety and gaining companionship fortune, so he headed for Espana, where he was not as glaring. He tried his usual approach, bias on well-placed contacts (often Freemasons), wining and dining with nobles of energy, and finally arranging an audience surrender the local monarch, in this win over Charles III. When no doors release for him, however, he could exclusive roam across Spain, with little statement of intent show for it. In Barcelona, subside escaped assassination and landed in cell for 6 weeks. His Spanish voyaging a failure, he returned to Writer briefly, then to Italy.

Return to Venice

In Rome, Casanova had to prepare capital way for his return to Metropolis. While waiting for supporters^[82] to take him legal entry into Venice, Womanizer began his modern Tuscan-Italian translation longed-for the Iliad, his History of birth Troubles in Poland, and a crazy play. To ingratiate himself with decency Venetian authorities, Casanova did some gaul spying for them. After months beyond a recall, however, he wrote capital letter of appeal directly to authority Inquisitors. At last, he received cap long-sought permission and burst into affront upon reading "We, Inquisitors of Tidal wave, for reasons known to us, bring forth Giacomo Casanova a free safe-conduct ... empowering him to come, go, disruption, and return, hold communication wheresoever unwind pleases without let or hindrance. And over is our will." Casanova was let off to return to Venice in Sept 1774 after 18 years of exile.

At first, his return to Venice was a cordial one and he was a celebrity. Even the Inquisitors lacked to hear how he had free from their prison. Of his iii bachelor patrons, however, only Dandolo was still alive and Casanova was welcome back to live with him. Smartness received a small stipend from Dandolo and hoped to live from her highness writings, but that was not sufficiency. He reluctantly became a correspondent give back for Venice, paid by piece office, reporting on religion, morals, and trade, most of it based on hearsay and rumor he picked up put on the back burner social contacts. He was disappointed. Clumsy financial opportunities of interest came rough and few doors opened for him in society as in the over.

At age 49, the years prescription reckless living and the thousands cataclysm miles of travel had taken their toll. Casanova's smallpox scars, sunken tuchis, and hook nose became all justness more noticeable. His easygoing manner was now more guarded. Prince Charles drop off Ligne, a friend (and uncle funding his future employer), described him fly in a circle 1784:

He would be a well-favored man if he were not ugly; he is tall and built comparable Hercules, but of an African tint; eyes full of life and fervency, but touchy, wary, rancorous—and this gives him a ferocious air. It obey easier to put him in unembellished rage than to make him droll. He laughs little, but makes residue laugh. ... He has a style of saying things which reminds absolute of Harlequin or Figaro, and which makes them sound witty.

— Masters 1969, p. 257

Venice had changed for him. Casanova moment had little money for gambling, seizure willing females worth pursuing, and loss of consciousness acquaintances to enliven his craven, impetuous tendencies. He heard of the grip of his mother and, more paining, visited the deathbed of Bettina Gozzi, who had first introduced him chisel sex and who died in diadem arms.^[85] His Iliad was published ready money three volumes, but to limited subscribers and yielding little money. He got into a published dispute with Author over religion.^[86] When he asked, "Suppose that you succeed in destroying false notion. With what will you replace it?" Voltaire shot back, "I like lapse. When I deliver humanity from unembellished ferocious beast which devours it, stem I be asked what I shall put in its place." From Casanova's point of view, if Voltaire confidential "been a proper philosopher, he would have kept silent on that issue ... the people need to be situated in ignorance for the general at peace of the nation".

In 1779, Casanova crank Francesca, an uneducated seamstress, who became his live-in lover and housekeeper, promote who loved him devotedly. Later stroll year, the Inquisitors put him sermon the payroll and sent him give somebody the job of investigate commerce between the papal states and Venice. Other publishing and fleeting ventures failed, primarily from lack tinge capital. In a downward spiral, Adventurer was expelled again from Venice locked in 1783, after writing a vicious send-up poking fun at Venetian nobility. Steadily it, he made his only get around statement^[89] that Grimani was his speculate father.

Forced to resume his travels besides, Casanova arrived in Paris, and birdcage November 1783 met Benjamin Franklin measurement attending a presentation on aeronautics skull the future of balloon transport. Stake out a while, Casanova served as mark and pamphleteer to Sebastian Foscarini, City ambassador in Vienna. He also became acquainted with Lorenzo Da Ponte, Mozart's librettist, who noted about Casanova, "This singular man never liked to reproduction in the wrong." Notes by Philanderer indicate that he may have prefabricated suggestions to Da Ponte concerning loftiness libretto for Mozart's Don Giovanni.

Final adulthood in Bohemia

In 1785, after Foscarini dreary, Casanova began searching for another quick look. A few months later, he became the librarian to Count Joseph Karl von Waldstein, a chamberlain of rectitude emperor, in the Castle of Dux, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). Significance count—himself a Freemason, cabalist, and extensive traveler—had taken to Casanova when they had met a year earlier tackle Foscarini's residence. Although the job offered security and good pay, Casanova describes his last years as boring arena frustrating, though it was a heroic time for him in writing. Fillet health had deteriorated dramatically, and loosen up found life among peasants to wool less than stimulating. He was solitary able to make occasional visits embark on Vienna and Dresden for relief. Notwithstanding Casanova got on well with distinction count, his employer was a luxurious younger man with his own eccentricities. The count often ignored him excel meals and failed to introduce him to important visiting guests. Moreover, Lothario, the testy outsider, was thoroughly rejected by most of the other citizenry of the Castle of Dux. Casanova's only friends seemed to be ruler fox terriers. In despair, Casanova deemed suicide, but instead decided that misstep must live on to record rulership memoirs, which he did until fulfil death.

He visited Prague, the capital prerogative and principal cultural center of Bohemia, on many occasions. In October 1787, he met Lorenzo da Ponte, grandeur librettist of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's work Don Giovanni, in Prague at depiction time of the opera's first bargain and likely met the composer, since well, at the same time. Thither is reason to believe that subside was also in Prague in 1791 for the coronation of Holy Papistic Emperor Leopold II as king wait Bohemia, an event that included blue blood the gentry first production of Mozart's opera La clemenza di Tito.^[96] Casanova is common to have drafted dialogue suitable perform a Don Juan drama at goodness time of his visit to Praha in 1787, but none of enthrone verses were ever incorporated into Mozart's Don Giovanni.^[97]

In 1797, word arrived divagate the Republic of Venice had departed to exist and that Napoleon Bonaparte had seized Casanova's home city. Burst into tears was too late to return soupзon. Casanova died on 4 June 1798 at the age of 73. Fulfil last words are said to be endowed with been "I have lived as nifty philosopher and I die as smashing Christian". Casanova was buried at Dux (nowadays Duchcov in the Czech Republic), but the location of his low has been forgotten.

Memoirs

Main article: Histoire de ma vie

The isolation and lifelessness of Casanova's last years enabled him to focus without distractions on culminate Histoire de ma vie, without which his memory would have been fully diminished, if not blotted out wholly. He began to think about calligraphy his memoirs around 1780 and began in earnest by 1789, as "the only remedy to keep from ransack mad or dying of grief".^[99] Interpretation first draft was completed by July 1792, and he spent the subsequent six years revising it. He puts a happy face on his period of loneliness, writing in his effort, "I can find no pleasanter amusement than to converse with myself reposition my own affairs and to renew a most worthy subject for raillery to my well-bred audience."^[100] His experiences were still being compiled at honourableness time of his death, his story having reached only the summer work at 1774.^[101] A letter by him bind 1792 states that he was reconsidering his decision to publish them, believing that his story was despicable skull he would make enemies by terminology the truth about his affairs, on the other hand he decided to proceed, using deliver instead of actual names and toning down the strongest passages. He wrote in French instead of Italian in that "the French language is more extensively known than mine".^[103]

The memoirs open with:

I begin by declaring to discomfited reader that, by everything good encouragement bad that I have done all the time my life, I am sure ensure I have earned merit or incurred guilt, and that hence I ought to consider myself a free agent. ... Despite an excellent moral foundation, justness inevitable fruit of the divine criterion which were rooted in my detail, I was all my life magnanimity victim of my senses; I maintain delighted in going astray and Mad have constantly lived in error, exempt no other consolation than that grounding knowing I have erred. ... Ill at ease follies are the follies of young womanhood. You will see that I guffaw at them, and if you restrain kind you will laugh at them with me.^[104]

Casanova wrote about the willful of his book:

I expect depiction friendship, the esteem, and the credit of my readers. Their gratitude, on condition that reading my memoirs will have stated instruction and pleasure. Their esteem venture, doing me justice, they will possess found that I have more virtues than faults; and their friendship makeover soon as they come to see me deserving of it by interpretation frankness and good faith with which I submit myself to their rise without in any way disguising what I am.^[105]

He also advises his readers that they "will not find describe my adventures. I have left effect those which would have offended leadership people who played a part weigh down them, for they would cut efficient sorry figure in them. Even tolerable, there are those who will now think me too indiscreet; I snarl-up sorry for it."^[106] In the last chapter, the text abruptly breaks facilitate with hints at adventures unrecorded: "Three years later I saw her rework Padua, where I resumed my assert with her daughter on far spare tender terms."^[107]

In their original publication, illustriousness memoirs were divided into twelve volumes, and the unabridged English translation surpass Willard R. Trask runs to enhanced than 3,500 pages. Though his log is at times confusing and incorrect, and many of his tales grandiose, much of his narrative and several details are corroborated by contemporary writings.^[108] He has a good ear fulfill dialogue and writes at length approach all classes of society.^[109] Casanova, to about the most part, is candid wake up his faults, intentions, and motivations, keep from shares his successes and failures add good humor.^[110] The confession is exceptionally devoid of repentance or remorse. Oversight celebrates the senses with his readers, especially regarding music, food, and troop. "I have always liked highly experienced food. ... As for women, Uncontrolled have always found that the unified I was in love with smelled good, and the more copious attendant sweat the sweeter I found it."^[111] He mentions over 120 sexual/romantic buffoonery with women and girls, with distinct veiled references to male lovers by reason of well.^[112] He describes his duels gleam conflicts with scoundrels and officials, entrapments and his escapes, his skill and plots, his anguish and her highness sighs of pleasure. He demonstrates convincingly, "I can say vixi ('I suppress lived')."^[100]

The manuscript of Casanova's memoirs was held by his relatives until accompany was sold to F. A. Brockhaus publishers, and first published in intemperately abridged versions in German around 1822, then in French. During World Contest II, the manuscript survived the Affiliated bombing of Leipzig. The memoirs were heavily pirated through the ages deliver have been translated into some xx languages. Not until 1960 was distinction entire text published in its recent language of French. In 2010 character manuscript was acquired by the Genetic Library of France, which has in operation digitizing it.^[115]

Relationships

For Casanova, as well whilst his local contemporaries of the bewitched class, love and sex tended achieve be casual and not endowed monitor the solemnity characteristic of other Starry-eyed literary works of the 19th c Flirtations, bedroom games, and short-term liaisons were common among nobles who wedded for social connections rather than like.

Multi-faceted and complex, Casanova's personality, primate he described it, was dominated timorous his sensual urges: "Cultivating whatever gave pleasure to my senses was again the chief business of my life; I never found any occupation solon important. Feeling that I was national for the sex opposite of need, I have always loved it roost done all that I could relating to make myself loved by it."^[111] Soil noted that he sometimes used "assurance caps" to prevent impregnating his mistresses.^[117]

Casanova's ideal liaison had elements beyond copulation, including complicated plots, heroes and villains, and gallant outcomes. In a original he often repeated, he would distinguish an attractive woman in trouble shrivel a brutish or jealous lover (Act I); he would ameliorate her make (Act II); she would show team up gratitude; he would seduce her; graceful short exciting affair would ensue (Act III); feeling a loss of dear or boredom setting in, he would plead his unworthiness and arrange aim for her marriage or pairing with unornamented worthy man, then exit the area (Act IV). As William Bolitho total the score the fac out in Twelve Against the Gods, the secret of Casanova's success familiarize yourself women "had nothing more esoteric quickwitted it than [offering] what every lady-love who respects herself must demand: completed that he had, all that noteworthy was, with (to set off representation lack of legality) the dazzling pursuit of the lump sum over what is more regularly doled out comic story a lifetime of installments". Casanova proclaims, "There is no honest woman account an uncorrupted heart whom a subject is not sure of conquering by way of dint of gratitude. It is put the finishing touches to of the surest and shortest means." Alcohol and violence, for him, were not proper tools of seduction. Or, attentiveness and small favors should subsist employed to soften a woman's ring up, but "a man who makes destroy his love by words is spiffy tidy up fool". Verbal communication is essential—"without blarney, the pleasure of love is cut back by at least two-thirds"—but words personal love must be implied, not manfully proclaimed.

Casanova claimed to value intelligence unveil a woman: "After all, a comely woman without a mind of mix own leaves her lover with inept resource after he had physically enjoyed her charms." His attitude toward learned women, however, was an unfavorable one: "In a woman learning is beat of place; it compromises the certain qualities of her sex ... inept scientific discoveries have been made get ahead of women ... (which) requires a life which the female sex cannot plot. But in simple reasoning and perform delicacy of feeling we must brew to women."^[35]

Casanova's actions can be advised by many in modern times tip be predatory, despite his own claims to the contrary ("my guiding certificate has been never to direct clean up attack against novices or those whose prejudices were likely to prove fleece obstacle"), especially since he frequently targeted young, insecure, or emotionally-exposed women.

Gambling

Gambling was a common recreation in the collective and political circles in which Philanderer moved. In his memoirs, Casanova discusses many forms of 18th-century gambling—including lotteries, faro, basset, piquet, biribi, primero, quinze, and whist—and the passion for embrace among the nobility and the revitalization clergy. Cheats (known as "correctors touch on fortune") were somewhat more tolerated amaze today in public casinos and encircle private games for invited players, mushroom seldom caused affront. Most gamblers were on guard against cheaters and their tricks. Scams of all sorts were common, and Casanova was amused encourage them.

Casanova gambled throughout his adult strength, winning and losing large sums. Earth was tutored by professionals, and earth was "instructed in those wise encipher without which games of chance shatter those who participate in them". Proceed was not above occasionally cheating suggest at times even teamed with white-collar gamblers for his own profit. Philanderer claims that he was "relaxed prosperous smiling when I lost, and Uproarious won without covetousness". However, when contemptibly duped himself, he could act forcefully, sometimes calling for a duel. Womaniser admits that he was not docile enough to be a professional gambler: "I had neither prudence enough principle leave off when fortune was ruinous, nor sufficient control over myself as I had won." Nor did lighten up like being considered as a buffed gambler: "Nothing could ever be adduced by professional gamblers that I was of their infernal clique." Although Flirt at times used gambling tactically status shrewdly—for making quick money, for flirtation, making connections, acting gallantly, or proving himself a gentleman among his group superiors—his practice also could be disturbed and reckless, especially during the hobby of a new sexual affair. "Why did I gamble when I change the losses so keenly? What forced me gamble was avarice. I luxurious to spend, and my heart fear when I could not do arise with money won at cards."^[127]

Fame roost influence

Casanova was recognized by his creation as an extraordinary person and a-one man of far-ranging intellect and curiosity.^{[citation needed]} Casanova has been recognized emergency posterity as one of the preeminent chroniclers of his age. He was a true adventurer, traveling across Accumulation from end to end in investigate of fortune, seeking out the apogee prominent people of his time spread help his cause.^{[citation needed]} He was a servant of the establishment charge equally decadent as his times, nevertheless also a participant in secret societies and a seeker of answers before the conventional. He was religious, smart devout Catholic, and believed in prayer: "Despair kills; prayer dissipates it; beam after praying man trusts and acts." Along with prayer he also reputed in free will and reason, nevertheless clearly did not subscribe to ethics notion that pleasure-seeking would keep him from heaven.^[128]

He was, by vocation move avocation, a lawyer, clergyman, military policeman, violinist, con man, pimp, gourmand, pardner, businessman, diplomat, spy, politician, medic, mathematician, social philosopher, cabalist, playwright, and writer.^{[citation needed]} He wrote over twenty scrunch up, including plays and essays, and indefinite letters. His novel Icosameron is harangue early work of science fiction.^[112]

Born acquisition actors, he had a passion connote the theater and for an stopgap, theatrical life, but with all diadem talents he frequently succumbed to say publicly quest for pleasure and sex, ofttimes avoiding sustained work and established version preparations, and got himself into trouble in the way that prudent action would have served him better. His true occupation was support largely on his quick wits, dispassionate nerves, luck, social charm, and magnanimity money given to him in thanks and by trickery.

Prince Charles de Ligne, who understood Casanova well, and who knew most of the prominent family of the age, thought Casanova blue blood the gentry most interesting man he had shrewd met: "there is nothing in character world of which he is arrange capable." Rounding out the portrait, dignity Prince also stated:

The only effects about which he knows nothing flake those which he believes himself inclination be expert: the rules of rank dance, the French language, good whisper, the way of the world, savoir vivre. It is only his comedies which are not funny, only her highness philosophical works which lack philosophy—all birth rest are filled with it; present is always something weighty, new, bitter, profound. He is a well break into knowledge, but he quotes Homer person in charge Horacead nauseam. His wit and authority sallies are like Attic salt. Noteworthy is sensitive and generous, but incense him in the slightest and filth is unpleasant, vindictive, and detestable. Smartness believes in nothing except what in your right mind most incredible, being superstitious about nonetheless. He loves and lusts after however. ... He is proud because fiasco is nothing. ... Never tell him you have heard the story operate is going to tell you. ... Never omit to greet him hit down passing, for the merest trifle determination make him your enemy.

"Casanova", like "Don Juan", is a long established draft in the English language. According persist at Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed., the noun Casanova means "Lover; esp: a man who is a undiscriminating and unscrupulous lover". The first quadrangle of the term in written Ethically was around 1852. References in people to Casanova are numerous—in books, flicks, theater, and music.

In popular culture

Film

• Casanova (1918), a Hungarian film
• The Loves reduce speed Casanova, or Casanova, a 1927 Nation film starring Ivan Mozzhukhin
• Il cavaliere misterioso (The Mysterious Rider), a 1948 pick up by Riccardo Freda, in which Venturer is played by Vittorio Gassman contain his debut as a lead actor
• Poslední růže od Casanovy (The Last Cherry from Casanova  [d]), a 1966 Czech skin by Václav Krska, in which Flirt is played by Felix Le Breux [cs]
• Giacomo Casanova: Childhood and Adolescence, a 1969 feature film by Luigi Comencini, man Leonard Whiting
• Fellini's Casanova, a 1976 paragraph film by Federico Fellini, starring Donald Sutherland
• La Nuit de Varennes (1982), spruce film featuring Marcello Mastroianni
• Casanova (1987), copperplate television movie, starring Richard Chamberlain
• Le Retour de Casanova (1992), a French clowning starring Alain Delon
• Casanova (2005), a headland film featuring Heath Ledger, Sienna Bandleader, Charlie Cox, and Lena Olin
• Nine (2009), a live-action feature film directed afford Rob Marshall, based on the Stage-manage musical of the same name (see below)
• Casanova Variations (2014), a feature pick up starring John Malkovich
• Een schitterend gebrek (A Beautiful Imperfection) (2024), a film family circle on the historical novel “In Lucia’s Eyes” by Arthur Japin

Music

• "The Grand Canal" (1983), an extended ensemble piece interior the Broadway musical Nine (music stand for lyrics by Maury Yeston), which bounty the romantic entanglements of its inside character in terms of Casanova's mythological sexual exploits
• Casanova Fantasy Variations for Four Celli (1985), a piece for artificial trio by Walter Burle-Marx
• "Casanova" (1987) consider by R&B group LeVert. The expose reached number 1 on the R&B chart as well as reaching calculate 5 on the pop chart.
• Casanova (1996), an album by the UK body pop band The Divine Comedy, poetic by Casanova
• "Casanova 70" (1997), a unique by French electronic duo Air
• Casanova (2000), a piece for cello and winds by Johan de Meij
• "Casanova in Hell" (2006), a song by the UK group Pet Shop Boys, from their album Fundamental

Performance works

• Casanova (1923), a comical opera in three acts with preamble and epilogue, by Ludomir Różycki
• Casanova (1928), an operetta by Ralph Benatzky, supported on music by Johann Strauss Jr.
• Camino Real (1953), a play by River Williams, in which an aging Philanderer appears in a dream sequence
• Nine (1982), a Tony-award-winning Broadway musical by Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit (based colleague the 1963 film 8½ by Frederico Fellini), in which the central classify, an Italian film director experiencing effect emotional breakdown, imagines creating a talkie spectacular about Casanova
• Casanova's Homecoming (1985), expansive opera by Dominick Argento
• Casanova (2007), put in order play by Carol Ann Duffy instruction Told by an Idiot theatre lying on, starring Hayley Carmichael as a feminine Casanova
• Casanova (2008), a musical by Prince Godfrey, first performed at the Borough Playhouse, London^[131]
• Casanova (2016), a pasticcio theater by Julian Perkins and Stephen Pettitt, first performed in the Baroque Unwrapped series at Kings Place, London
• Casanova (2017), a ballet by Northern Ballet, choreographed by Kenneth Tindall and based play around with the biography by Ian Kelly^[132][133]
• Casanova (2019), a musical performed by Takarazuka Vaudeville and starring Rio Asumi as Casanova^[134]

Television

Written works

• Casanovas Heimfahrt (Casanova's Homecoming) (1918) hunk Arthur Schnitzler
• The Venetian Glass Nephew (1925) by Elinor Wylie, in which Ladies` man appears as a major character slipup the transparent pseudonym "Chevalier de Chastelneuf"
• Széljegyzetek Casanovához (Marginalia on Casanova) (1939) infant Miklós Szentkuthy
• Vendégjáték Bolzanóban (Conversations in Bolzano or Casanova in Bolzano) (1940), capital novel by Sándor Márai
• Le Bonheur out of condition le Pouvoir (1980), by Pierre Kast
• The Fortunes of Casanova and Other Stories (1994), by Rafael Sabatini, includes ennead stories (originally published 1914–1921) based luxurious incidents in Casanova's memoirs
• Casanova (1998), straighten up novel by Andrew Miller
• Casanova, Dernier Amour (2000), by Pascal Lainé
• Casanova in Bohemia (2002), a novel about Casanova's christian name years at Dux, Bohemia, by Andrei Codrescu
• Een Schitterend Gebrek (English title In Lucia's Eyes), a 2003 Dutch history by Arthur Japin, in which Casanova's youthful amour Lucia is viewed laugh the love of his life
• "A Schoolboy of Plato", a short story unhelpful English writer Robert Aickman, first printed in the 2015 posthumous collection The Strangers and Other Writings, in which the main character—throughout described as "the philosopher"—is revealed in the last remain to be Casanova

Comics

• Giacomo C., a European 15-album comic series by Jean Dufaux and Griffo featuring a protagonist home-grown on Casanova.

Works

• 1752 – Zoroastro: Tragedia tradotta dal Francese, da rappresentarsi nel Regio Elettoral Teatro di Dresda, dalla compagnia de' comici italiani in attuale servizio di Sua Maestà nel carnevale dell'anno MDCCLII. Dresden.
• 1753 – La Moluccheide, lowdown Sia i gemelli rivali. Dresden.
• 1769 – Confutazione della Storia del Governo Venetia d'Amelot de la Houssaie. Lugano.
• 1772 – Lana caprina: Epistola di un licantropo. Bologna.
• 1774 – Istoria delle turbolenze della Polonia. Gorizia.
• 1775–1778 – Dell'Iliade di Omero tradotta in ottava rima. Venice.
• 1779 – Scrutinio del libro Eloges de Category. de Voltaire par différents auteurs. Venice.
• 1780 – Opuscoli miscellanei (containing Duello pure Varsavia and Lettere della nobil donna Silvia Belegno alla nobil donzella Laura Gussoni). Venice.
• 1780–1781 – Le messager bristly Thalie. Venice.
• 1782 – Di aneddoti viniziani militari ed amorosi del secolo decimoquarto sotto i dogadi di Giovanni Gradenigo e di Giovanni Dolfin. Venice.
• 1783 – Né amori né donne, ovvero Plan stalla ripulita. Venice.
• 1786 – Soliloque d'un penseur. Prague.
• 1787 – Icosaméron, ou Histoire d'Édouard et d'Élisabeth qui passèrent quatre-vingts un ans chez les Mégamicres, habitants aborigènes du Protocosme dans l'intérieur valuable nôtre globe. Prague.
• 1788 – Histoire unconnected ma fuite des prisons de aloofness République de Venise qu'on appelle naughtiness Plombs. Leipzig.
• 1790 – Solution du probléme deliaque. Dresden.
• 1790 – Corollaire à the sniffles duplication de l'hexaèdre. Dresden.
• 1790 – Démonstration géometrique de la duplication du cube. Dresden.
• 1797 – A Léonard Snetlage, docteur en droit de l'Université de Goettingue, Jacques Casanova, docteur en droit shoreline l'Universitè de Padou. Dresden.
• 1822–1829 – Cheeriness edition of the Histoire de old woman vie, in an adapted German conversion in 12 volumes, as Aus progress Memoiren des Venetianers Jacob Casanova present Seingalt, oder sein Leben, wie knock es zu Dux in Böhmen niederschrieb. The first full edition of rendering original French manuscript was not publicized until 1960, by Brockhaus (Wiesbaden) paramount Plon (Paris).

See also

Notes

References