About this Podcast:
THE MEMOIRS OF JACQUES CASANOVA de SEINGALT - THE STORY OF MY LIFE: The Extraordinary Memoirs, Adventures, Loves and Escapes of an 18th-Century Adventurer. Few autobiographies have captured the imagination of the world like The Story of My Life, the extraordinary memoirs of Giacomo Casanova (1725–1798). Born in Venice in the eighteenth century, Casanova lived a life that seems almost impossible to believe. He was a priest, soldier, musician, gambler, writer, intellectual, diplomat, adventurer, prisoner, fugitive and notorious lover. He moved through the courts, salons, convents, gambling houses and prisons of Europe, crossing paths with aristocrats, artists, philosophers, politicians and women from every level of society. But Casanova's memoirs are far more than a catalogue of romantic encounters. They form a remarkable portrait of eighteenth-century Europe—a world of aristocratic privilege, religious authority, political intrigue, elaborate social rituals, intellectual revolution, travel, gambling, wealth, poverty and personal freedom. This podcast presents The Story of My Life as an epic journey through Casanova's adventures, following the memoir from his childhood in Venice through his travels across Europe and ultimately into old age. Across six volumes and thirty episodes, listeners will accompany Casanova from Venice to Paris, Amsterdam, London, Berlin, Moscow, Madrid, Rome, Naples, Switzerland, Germany and beyond. VOLUME 1 — VENETIAN YEARS The journey begins in Casanova's native Venice, where his extraordinary personality and appetite for adventure first begin to develop. 1. CHILDHOOD (1-7) The opening chapters introduce Casanova's early years and the world that shaped him. We encounter his family, education, childhood experiences and first encounters with religion, society and the opposite sex. These chapters reveal the young Casanova before he became the legendary figure associated with his name. 2. CLERIC IN NAPLES (8-12) Casanova enters the world of the Church and travels to Naples. His experiences as a young cleric expose him to religious institutions, aristocratic society and the contradictions between public morality and private desire. 3. MILITARY CAREER (13-15) Seeking a different path, Casanova turns toward military life. His brief career introduces him to discipline, travel and the realities of eighteenth-century military society, while his restless character continues to resist conventional expectations. 4. RETURN TO VENICE (16-19) Casanova returns to Venice, the city that remains central to his identity. His fortunes begin to change as he becomes increasingly involved in the city's social world and discovers new opportunities for adventure. 5. MILAN AND MANTUA (20-23) His travels continue through northern Italy. Milan and Mantua become stages for new friendships, romances, intrigues and unexpected encounters, demonstrating the extraordinary mobility of European society in Casanova's time. VOLUME 2 — TO PARIS AND PRISON The second volume brings Casanova into a more dangerous phase of his life. His ambitions expand, his reputation grows, and his adventures increasingly place him in conflict with authority. 6. PARIS Paris opens a new chapter in Casanova's life. He encounters French society, wealth, culture and intellectual life while attempting to establish himself in one of Europe's most influential capitals. 7. VENICE Returning to Venice, Casanova becomes deeply involved in the city's social and romantic world. His intelligence, charm and appetite for risk continue to create both opportunities and enemies. 8. CONVENT AFFAIRS Casanova's adventures take him into the mysterious world of convents and forbidden relationships. These chapters combine secrecy, romance, religion and social convention in classic Casanova fashion. 9. THE FALSE NUN I
