Casanova in life and in cinema: who the famous lover really was, and how many women he conquered
Casanova in life and in cinema: who the famous lover really was, and how many women he conquered

Video: Casanova in life and in cinema: who the famous lover really was, and how many women he conquered

Video: Casanova in life and in cinema: who the famous lover really was, and how many women he conquered
Video: Metropolis Paris - YouTube 2024, November
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Heath Ledger in Casanova, 2005
Heath Ledger in Casanova, 2005

April 2, 1725 was born the most famous lover in European history - Giacomo Girolamo Casanova … For many, Casanova's name has become a household name, synonymous with the word "womanizer". However, few people know that his real personality is not limited to erotic exploits, he tried himself in the role of a lawyer, abbot, musician, diplomat, assistant, spy, writer and even a librarian. Rumors of his sexual exploits are greatly exaggerated, and among all the women there was one that he could not forget until the end of his days.

Casanova real and fictional
Casanova real and fictional

Giacomo Casanova was very smart and received a good education. At the age of 12 he entered the University of Padua, and at the age of 17 he received a law degree, then continued his studies at the theological seminary. Upon his return to Venice, he began a career as a church lawyer, but the roles of lawyer and priest did not suit him, and he began to travel around Europe.

Left - Unknown artist. Portrait of Casanova, c. 1750 On the right - A. Longhi. Portrait of Casanova
Left - Unknown artist. Portrait of Casanova, c. 1750 On the right - A. Longhi. Portrait of Casanova

The Italian was very gambling, even while studying at the university he started gambling and quickly found himself in debt. At the same time, he was aware of his addiction: “Greed made me play. I enjoyed spending money and my heart was bleeding when that money was not won at cards."

Giacomo Girolamo Casanova
Giacomo Girolamo Casanova

The famous lover was fond of magic, in Paris he pretended to be an alchemist, although in reality he was a charlatan and a magician. During a trip to France, he became a member of the Masonic society. Because of his interest in the occult and connections with the Freemasons, in 1755 he was arrested and imprisoned in Piombi - the "Lead Prison".

Piombi prison
Piombi prison

In his memoirs, Casanova claims that he managed to escape from prison, which he was helped by an apostate priest from a nearby cell. They allegedly made a hole in the ceiling, climbed onto the roof, and from there climbed down on the sheets. There is also a version that one of the wealthy patrons helped him buy off.

Still from the film The Adventures of Giacomo Casanova, 1955
Still from the film The Adventures of Giacomo Casanova, 1955
Still from the film The Adventures of Giacomo Casanova, 1955
Still from the film The Adventures of Giacomo Casanova, 1955

Casanova went down in history as the inventor of the first national lottery. After escaping from prison, he invented a way to make money for the state quickly, easily and painlessly. Tickets sold out instantly, he managed to bail out a considerable amount.

F. Narichi (presumably). Portrait of Casanova, 1760
F. Narichi (presumably). Portrait of Casanova, 1760

In 1757, French Foreign Minister de Berny sent him to Dunkirk as a spy. And then Casanova coped with the task - he found out information about the structure of the ships and the weaknesses of the enemy army. Giacomo communicated with European monarchs, cardinals and eminent thinkers.

Dux castle in Bohemia
Dux castle in Bohemia

Casanova spent the last years of his life rather modestly. He lived in Dux Castle in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), where he worked as a librarian for Count Josef von Waldstein and wrote his famous memoirs. "The story of my life" at that time was a real sensation, although today Casanova's memories can hardly surprise anyone with juicy details.

Still from the movie Casanova, 2005
Still from the movie Casanova, 2005

Casanova's appearance was far from modern ideas about male attractiveness. His friend Prince de Linh described him as follows: “He would have been handsome if he had not been ugly: tall, built like Hercules, his face swarthy; in his living eyes, full of intelligence, there is always resentment, anxiety or anger, and that is why he seems fierce. It is easier to anger him than to cheer him up, he rarely laughs, but he loves to make him laugh; his speeches are entertaining and funny, they have something of the clown Harlequin and Figaro."

Heath Ledger as Casanova, 2005
Heath Ledger as Casanova, 2005

In her memoirs, Casanova does not name the exact number of her mistresses. The researcher of his biography H. Cruz claims that there were 132 of them, according to the estimates of other biographers - 122. Despite numerous sexual relations, only one woman left a noticeable mark on his life. In his memoirs, he calls her Henrietta. This Frenchwoman was not only beautiful, but also very intelligent. Their romance lasted only three months, and Casanova could not forget her until the end of his life. “Those who believe that a woman cannot make a man happy twenty-four hours a day never knew Henrietta. The joy that filled my soul was much greater during the day when I was talking to her than at night when she was in my arms. Being very well-read and possessing an innate taste, Henrietta judged everything correctly,”Casanova recalled about her.

Giacomo Girolamo Casanova
Giacomo Girolamo Casanova

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