Giacomo Casanova, circa 1750 There have been so many stories and myths and movies surrounding Casanova over the years that it's difficult to tell where the legend ends and the man begins. Whether he really was the "World's Greatest Lover" is up for debate (certainly Casanova did much to propagate such rumors), but there are facts surrounding his life that are difficult to dispute. Giacomo Girolamo Casanova de Seingalt was born April 2, 1725 in Venice. He studied law and eventually joined the clergy. He even met the Pope, but later fell out of favor with the Church due to -- what else? -- a series of scandalous love affairs. On a tour of Europe, he explored Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, and alchemy. Upon his return to Venice, he continued to plague the Catholic Church and was tried and imprisoned by the Inquisition. Casanova then achieved an improbable escape from his jail and left Italy. Casanova lived in France, Belgium, England, and Russia over the years, where he hobnobbed with such figures as Madame de Pompadour, Voltaire, Catherine the Great, and Benjamin Franklin. He worked for the French Foreign Ministry and conducted several spying missions. Casanova attempted a few (unsuccessful) confidence schemes, fought at least one duel, and even worked for the Inquisition. Avoiding both the French Revolution and Napoleon, he became a librarian in Bohemia and wrote his memoirs before dying in 1798. And of course, in between all these adventures, he somehow managed affairs with an international array of women -- and supposedly, with some men, too. So ,while Casanova may be remembered as the heartthrob who slept his way through Europe, his true legacy is really living and surviving some of most tumultuous events in European history. In a hundred years, will Robert Pattinson or the Jonas Brothers be able to say the same thing? Suggested Sites... Casanova Research Page - academic site about focusing on the "great lover's" writings. Casanova on BBC / Masterpiece Theater - 2005 miniseries about the life and legend of Casanova. Casanova: The Book - 2008 biography by Ian Kelly that tells Casanova's true story.

Directory categories: Sexuality, Casanova, the Movie, Venice, The Inquisition, The 18th Century

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