Giovanni Girolamo Casanova was an 18th century infamous Italian adventurer, author, magician, violinist and spy. Giovanni became so famous for his audacious lifestyle; which consisted of complicated and scandalous relationships with over 135 women, that to this day his name is associated with none other than the word “womanizer”. He was the first born to his parents, Venetian actors, Zanetta Farussi and Gaetano Giuseppe Casanova in Venice, Italy on April 02, 1725. Giovanni was raised by his grandmother, while his mother toured. Then, at the tender age of 8, his father passed away which didn’t shake him, only intensified his passion for growth. He was shipped off to a boarding school in Padua when he turned 9. He enrolled into the University of Padua at age twelve and by 1742 graduated with a degree in law at only age 17. During the course of his time at Padua, he took the opportunity to study moral philosophy, chemistry, mathematics, in addition to medicine which he took a particular interest in.
After the passing of his grandmother, Casanova entered a seminary for a short while achieving prominence and recognition to serve a Roman Catholic cardinal in Rome. However, he was quickly terminated from his post amid scandal. At the age of 21, Casanova decided to switch things up and set out to become a professional gambler. Forlornly, he rapidly lost all of his remaining money from the sale of his commission, at which point he turned to his old benefactor, Alvise Grimani, for a job. Casanova thus began his third career, as a violinist in the San Samuele Theater. He was unsatisfied with his career, but as fate would have it, good fortune burst into fruition when Casanova saved the life of a Venetian nobleman of the Bragadin family. The nobleman had a stroke while riding in a gondola with Casanova; his youth combined with his detailed recollection of medical knowledge instantly comforted the senator and his allies. Immensely grateful for saving his life, the senator invited Casanova into his household and he became a lifelong patron. For the next three years, he worked as a legal assistant under the senator’s patronage and led the life of a prestigious nobleman.
Casanova’s luck came to a screeching halt when he was accused and found guilty of witchcraft in 1755. Later, he was condemned to serve 5 years in prison, however in October 1756; he managed to escape and fled to Paris. Upon arriving in Paris, a sensationalized account of his exploits appeared in a pamphlet, creating instant fame for Casanova. It was during this period that he began traveling extensively, using his bountiful charm and gambling winnings to support him financially. Those resources, however, didn’t last long. In an effort to escape the growing number of creditors, Casanova fled from Paris in 1760, traveling as simply "Chevalier de Seingalt", which he later used as a publishing name. He kept moving, from Germany to Switzerland, to the southern tip of France, Florence and then to Rome. He was finally permitted to return to Venice in the early 1770s, upon the acceptance of his service as a spy for the Venetian inquisitors of state and worked from 1774 to 1782.
From 1785 to 1798, Casanova lived in Bohemia, working as a librarian for Count Joseph Karl von Waldstein in the chateau of Dux. To ensure his irreplaceable legacy would be remembered, he began writing a 3,000 page autobiography, which was later renamed Histoire de Ma Vie. Today, the book is highly acclaimed for its representation of the Enlightenment society of continental Europe, however, less renowned for its biographical accuracy. The book was a vivid look at Casanova’s encounters intertwined with luminaries of his time. He peacefully passed away on June 04, 1798 in Dux, Czech Republic at the age of 73 after a life filled with love, adventure, and passion.
After the passing of his grandmother, Casanova entered a seminary for a short while achieving prominence and recognition to serve a Roman Catholic cardinal in Rome. However, he was quickly terminated from his post amid scandal. At the age of 21, Casanova decided to switch things up and set out to become a professional gambler. Forlornly, he rapidly lost all of his remaining money from the sale of his commission, at which point he turned to his old benefactor, Alvise Grimani, for a job. Casanova thus began his third career, as a violinist in the San Samuele Theater. He was unsatisfied with his career, but as fate would have it, good fortune burst into fruition when Casanova saved the life of a Venetian nobleman of the Bragadin family. The nobleman had a stroke while riding in a gondola with Casanova; his youth combined with his detailed recollection of medical knowledge instantly comforted the senator and his allies. Immensely grateful for saving his life, the senator invited Casanova into his household and he became a lifelong patron. For the next three years, he worked as a legal assistant under the senator’s patronage and led the life of a prestigious nobleman.
Casanova’s luck came to a screeching halt when he was accused and found guilty of witchcraft in 1755. Later, he was condemned to serve 5 years in prison, however in October 1756; he managed to escape and fled to Paris. Upon arriving in Paris, a sensationalized account of his exploits appeared in a pamphlet, creating instant fame for Casanova. It was during this period that he began traveling extensively, using his bountiful charm and gambling winnings to support him financially. Those resources, however, didn’t last long. In an effort to escape the growing number of creditors, Casanova fled from Paris in 1760, traveling as simply "Chevalier de Seingalt", which he later used as a publishing name. He kept moving, from Germany to Switzerland, to the southern tip of France, Florence and then to Rome. He was finally permitted to return to Venice in the early 1770s, upon the acceptance of his service as a spy for the Venetian inquisitors of state and worked from 1774 to 1782.
From 1785 to 1798, Casanova lived in Bohemia, working as a librarian for Count Joseph Karl von Waldstein in the chateau of Dux. To ensure his irreplaceable legacy would be remembered, he began writing a 3,000 page autobiography, which was later renamed Histoire de Ma Vie. Today, the book is highly acclaimed for its representation of the Enlightenment society of continental Europe, however, less renowned for its biographical accuracy. The book was a vivid look at Casanova’s encounters intertwined with luminaries of his time. He peacefully passed away on June 04, 1798 in Dux, Czech Republic at the age of 73 after a life filled with love, adventure, and passion.
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