Nowadays, the name “Casanova” has become a household name. Perhaps this tour will allow you to understand the secret of the success of this tireless tempter of women’s hearts. You will see the places of Casanova’s youth: the house where he was born, the temple of San Samuele, where he tried his hand as a preacher. Itinerary in the footsteps of Giacomo Casanova, the great seducer about whom most books have been written and a great number of movies have been made.
You will visit the places described in his memoirs, where the atmosphere of the great seducer’s gallant adventures has been preserved, you will be transported to the XVIII century, the age of music, endless carnival and chichisbey. In this portrait of Casanova – visitor of fashionable salons, adventurer and conqueror of women’s hearts, you will discover the charter of life of an era that ended with the adventures of another Venetian “Casanova” Lord Byron.
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Venice, free of religious fanaticism, geopolitical ambition and bourgeois sanctimony, drew to itself like a magnet, adventurers, idlers, outright scoundrels and, why not, aesthetes, poets, composers – the creative people of Europe – in pursuit of inspiration and adventure.
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The journey begins at Palazzo Merati on the Fondamenta Nuova, now owned by Count d’Odiffre de Greu where Casanova’s mother and sister lived. In these rich apartments there is still an alcove with a canopy bed on which the great seducer indulged in love affairs with Venetian ladies. Then you will go to the Campo San Maurizio, home of the scandalous erotic poet Giorgio Baffo, who undoubtedly had a great influence on the young Casanova. Returning to Piazza San Marco, which, with its cozy cafes and secret corners, was the scene of many secret dates of the great Casanova, you will see the famous Ridotto gambling house, where young seducers spent fortunes and indulged in debauchery. You can also visit the Doge’s Palace and see the cell where Casanova was imprisoned, convicted of heresy and free lifestyle and from where he successfully escaped in the company of a monk who recognized too many illegitimate children. You will hear a lot of legends and tall tales, and of course, you can let your imagination run wild.
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Pre-booking of tickets for the secret routes of the palace is required.
