Casanova is who? History of Giacomo Casanova. The modern meaning of the word "kazanova"

Probably, it is difficult to find a person who does not know the answer to the question: Casanova is who? This word has long been used and familiar to everyone. The name of the famous adventurer and writer from Venice Casanova Giacomo Girolamo became today a household name. This "citizen of the world" has become one of the most interesting personalities and a symbol of the long-gone 18th century.

Who is Casanova? He is certainly an outstanding personality of his time. To begin with, it should be noted that Casanova is an Italian writer, author of a large list of historical essays, a fantastic novel Iskameron. And also his pen belongs to popular memoirs entitled "The Story of My Life," in which Casanova appears as a great and loving heartthrob. In the memoirs Giacomo gave a clear description of the mores of the era.

Versatility of the personality of Casanova

So, who is Casanova? For his contemporaries, as well as readers and descendants Giacomo was a versatile and erudite person. Casanova in literature was known as a prose writer, poet, playwright, philologist, translator, historian, mathematician, lawyer, chemist, musician, financier and diplomat. But in the rest of the world, Casanova is a licentious gambler, an alchemist who discovered the mystery of creating a philosopher's stone and creates gold, a duelist, a Rosicrucian, a secret agent, a healer, a fortuneteller, and so on. What was true of all this, no one now will say for sure.

His own versatile but uniquely majestic reputation, the adventurist carefully supported the diverse stories of his adventures and love affairs, which were invariably told at dinner parties and dinners among the public absorbing them like a sponge. From one table of history went to another - rumors multiplied.

Memoirs of Giacomo Casanova

A well-known Italian could not get used to the idea that his descendants would not remember him. Therefore, I described my fascinating life on paper. At the same time, the writing of memoirs is timed to the era of the death of the old society: the fall of the French monarchy, the partition of Poland, the disappearance from the world maps of the Venetian Republic. In the manuscript all social and moral norms of behavior of that time are transferred.

The Venetian writer simultaneously belonged to both Italian culture and French. Despite all the improbability of the events described in the memoirs, they are reliable. Many of the life episodes on the pages of the manuscript have been documented. Trying to present himself in the most favorable light, Giacomo Casanova in the process of writing reverses events, confuses chronology. For all this, the picaresque memoirs are presented in the form of a list of victories in the love field, novel-career, adventurous psychological narrative.

Amorous adventures

All manifestations of love were interesting for the Italian, but none of the novels were crowned with a wedding, because the freedom for Casanova was more expensive than any state. Some young people he taught secular customs, and others carnal pleasures. At the same time, in love, he entered absolutely with all: prostitutes, aristocrats, poor, rich, nuns, even with his niece.

History of Casanova Giacomo: childhood

The famous Venetian was born on April 2, 1725, at Easter, not far from the Church of Saint Samuel, in the family of the actor Casanova Gaetano Giuseppe and the actress Farussi Zanetta. After him, another five children were born in the family. During the rise of Giacomo, Venice was a European pleasure center, whose rulers encouraged the arrival of tourists with evil intentions. The Republic was an indispensable point in the famous aristocratic Grand Tour and was famous for its gambling houses and fine courtesans.

At the age of 11 Giacomo first experienced the caress of the opposite sex in the person of his younger sister Gozzi Bettina. Young Casanova showed an enviable craving for knowledge, which instilled in his mentor, abbot, faith in the future of the young man in the legal field. At the age of 17 Giacomo already had a degree. In addition to jurisprudence, he was also interested in other sciences, especially medicine. During his studies, he also became addicted to gambling.

Admission to Adulthood

Giacomo began to work as a lawyer at the church, and was accepted into the novices by the Patriarch of Venice himself. By that time, the young Casanova acquired a special charm and charm and acquired a powerful patron - Senator Malipiero. From him, he received excellent instruction on behavior in the upper strata of society, and also learned to understand food and wine.

In January 1744, Giacomo arranged to work with the influential cardinal, Aquaviva d'Argon, as secretary. However, after the scandal that occurred in the amorous career, Casanova was dismissed from his post.

Sample role of the soldier

Without stopping at the church work, Giacomo decided to acquire the patent of an officer of the Republic of Venice in August 1744. The new role for him seemed very boring, and promotion is very slow. Casanova was drawn to feats and not to military men. Therefore, in October, he interrupted his service and returned to his native republic.

The career of the violinist of the San Samuel Theater

Being a musician of the theater, Casanova did not fail to try on the skin of his descended colleagues, taking part in violent orgies and evenings with scandalous rallies. However, luck soon again smiled at his favorite, who already was disgusted with the role of a musician. His life became his own Senator Giovanni Bragadina, who was wounded in a gondola while sailing. At that time, when everyone was ready to call a priest, so that he let go of his sins, and then prayed for the dying, Casanova took the treatment into his own hands and saved the life of the senator. He subsequently adopted Giacomo and became his good patron until the end of his days.

In 1749 Casanova traveled through Italy. And after a significant win in the cards went to the Grand Tour. In Lyon, he joined the community of Freemasons, to the Order of the Rose and the Cross. Learning French in Paris, the Italian translated into his native language the tragedy "Zoroaster", which he himself put in the Royal Theater of Dresden.

Prison Piombi

During travels in Austria and Germany, Casanova wrote a lot of comedy plays. And after returning to Venice and drawing the wrath of the Inquisition with his antics, Giacomo was arrested. The prison, in which the lewd Venetian was imprisoned, was intended for known political criminals. He made a desperate attempt to escape. However, he was captured and put back in jail. The second escape attempt was successful, and Giacomo left for Paris.

"Kazanova": the meaning of the word in the modern world

A few centuries passed, but Lovelace remained in human memory. Today everyone knows the common noun "kazanova". This word is very popular among the people. There is no such person who would not use it. There are many literary characters, movie heroes, who were unwittingly called Casanova. Synonyms of the nominal name today are diverse: a womanizer, a seducer, a ladies 'man, a ladies' man, a playboy and many others. This is due to the fact that Giacomo Casanova acquired the greatest popularity precisely because of his love affairs, which were described in autobiographical memoirs. About them, today they write romantic books and make feature films.