Casanova returns to Venice
Giacomo Casanova is known worldwide as a ladies' man, but he was much more: a priest, a spy and a writer. He now has a museum dedicated to him in Venice.
Young Giacomo
Born to actors on April 2, 1725, Giacomo Girolamo Casanova dreamed of becoming a doctor, but settled on studying law and theology. For a few years, he was a priest, which didn't keep him from chasing women, however. He also fell off the pulpit in church one day, drunk.
Nightly adventures
It's impossible to know how many times Casanova must have sped along Venice's alleys or rowed down its canals to visit the woman he favored. He always had to be discreet, since the ladies were often married.
The lover
Casanova came and went as he pleased in boudoirs across Europe. He simply adored women, from wealthy ladies to whores in brothels. The Venetian womanizer is said to have had 200 lovers. Unlike the poor cuckolded husbands who he was forced to duel, the women always forgave him.
Manon Balletti
Manon Balletti was one of many women whose hearts Casanova broke. She was 17 and he was 30 when she fell in love with him. Hoping for marriage, she ditched her fiancé, sent Casanova 42 love letters and pawned a pair of diamond earrings to free him from prison. Casanova cheated on her during their entire three-year affair.
Banished
In 1756, the city of Venice banned Casanova, who had just managed to escape from “The Leads” area of the Doge's palace, where he was imprisoned for blasphemy. He turned his back on the grand palaces, traveled widely across Europe and impressed kings and religious leaders with his sophisticated demeanor, all the while presenting himself as "Chevalier de Seingalt."
A man of the world
The many exhibits at the new Casanova Museum give visitors an idea of the Venetian's many professions and callings: priest, violinist, soldier, spy and diplomat, writer and founder of the French lottery. He made a lot of money, and lost it just as quickly at the gambling table. Debt put him in jail many times, but it didn't tarnish his reputation.
Bestselling author
In Bohemia, Casanova, 60 years old at the time, worked as a librarian. Lonely, bitter, depressed and plagued by syphilis, he dreamed of times long past. His doctor suggested writing about his adventures – and he did. His memoir, "The Story of my Life," became an international bestseller, even if it was published in a tamer version than the original for many years.
Celebrating Casanova
Every year, 15 to 20 million tourists visit Venice, many of them interested in learning more about the life of Casanova. That gave Carlo Parodi (photo) the idea to dedicate a museum housed in a palazzo to the city's most famous son.