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Casanova’s legacy continues to captivate readers and historians alike. His autobiography offers invaluable insights into the customs, norms, and social life of 18th-century Europe.
Casanova’s name remains synonymous with his libertine lifestyle, making him one of the most iconic figures of his time.
Giacomo Casanova’s Biography
Giacomo Girolamo Casanova, born on April 2, 1725, in Venice, was an Italian adventurer and author. Known for his numerous love affairs and captivating storytelling, Casanova’s name has become synonymous with the term “libertine.”
One of the most accurate and controversial sources of information on European social life in the 18th century is his autobiography, Histoire de mi vie (Story of My Life).
Gaetano Casanova, an actor and dancer, and Zanetta Farussi, an actress, had Casanova as a child. The other five were Faustina Maddalena, Maria Maddalena Antonia Stella, Giovanni Battista, and Gaetano Alvise.
He was the oldest of the six kids. His birthplace, Venice, was at the time regarded as Europe’s centre of pleasure.
The city, which was ruled by conservative political and religious organisations, welcomed tourists, condoned vices, and attracted young men on their Grand Tour, particularly from the British aristocracy.
Casanova’s early years included many formative encounters with the Carnival, casinos, and seductive courtesans.
At the age of 30, Casanova’s arrest on July 26, 1755, changed the course of his life. He was held in “The Leads,” a prison with seven cells atop the Doge’s palace, on charges of insults to religion and morality.
Casanova received a five-year prison sentence without a trial or notification of the verdict. He wrote during his incarceration about his thoughts and experiences, setting the groundwork for his subsequent autobiography.
Following his release from prison, Casanova continued to lead an active lifestyle. He claimed to have interacted with European aristocracy, popes, cardinals, and well-known artists like Voltaire, Goethe, and Mozart during his extended travels throughout the continent.
Casanova was able to move across several social groups thanks to his endearing character and reputation as a libertine.
After a patron passed away in 1785, Casanova found himself looking for a new job. Count Joseph Karl von Waldstein, an emperor’s chamberlain, eventually hired him to be his librarian at the Castle of Dux in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). He spent the remaining years of his life in this job. Although he was previously famed for his amorous adventures, Casanova’s deepest bond with Finette, his pet fox terrier, came towards the end.
Giacomo Casanova’s Cause Of Death
Since Casanova’s memoirs only go up to 1774, many details of his later years are unknown.
The last thing he said, according to de Ligne, was “I have lived as a philosopher and die as a Christian.” On June 4, 1798, Casanova passed away from a terrible bladder condition.
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