The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Volume 20: Milan

In Short

This volume of Giacomo Casanova’s multi-volume memoir recounts his tumultuous travels through 18th-century Northern Italy, centering on his vivid misadventures in Milan, Lodi, and St. Angelo. Operating under his adopted title of Chevalier de Seingalt, Casanova navigates a relentless whirlwind of theatrical debuts, high-stakes gambling, romantic conquests, and superstitious brushes with local sorcery. Driven by his insatiable appetite for liberty and pleasure, he entangles himself with noble families, crafty tailors, down-on-their-luck aristocrats, and learned young women. The work endures as an unvarnished, deliciously detailed social history of Enlightenment Europe's upper crust and underworld.

The Story

The chronicle opens amidst the lively theatrical circles of Northern Italy, where Casanova manages the intricate romantic and financial affairs of his companions. When Lord Percy, an immensely wealthy English aristocrat, sets his sights on Casanova’s protege Agatha, Casanova gently steers the young dancer toward demanding a high salary rather than settling for minor theater roles. Yet money and influence prove irresistible, and Casanova soon surrenders his hold, packing his heavy trunks to travel toward Milan.

Upon his arrival in Milan, Casanova plunges directly into the local high life and low intrigue. He establishes himself in comfortable lodgings, generously giving away expensive Turin chocolate and paying off the debts of domestic chaplains to gain favor with his hosts, the Count and Countess A. B. High-stakes card games at local gaming houses quickly dominate his evenings. Old acquaintances resurface, including Barbaro, a disgraced Venetian noble’s son working for the Duke of Modena, who tries to recruit Casanova into a questionable gambling club designed to fleece unsuspecting players.

Casanova’s romantic pursuits move at a feverish pace. He dotes on Zenobia, the spirited bride of a sharp-witted tailor, plying her with lace, cash, and impromptu encounters right under her husband’s nose—though the tailor pragmatically turns a blind eye to the affair for financial gain. He later showers gifts on Irene, the daughter of a shady associate named Rinaldi, dressing her in fine lace and dominoes for the opera and masked balls. When a dark rumor of witchcraft threatens him, Casanova even confronts a reputed sorceress at knifepoint, extracting a mysterious bottle intended to curse him.

The narrative shifts dramatically when Casanova retreats to the country estate of St. Angelo. There he meets Clementine, a brilliantly intelligent, noble young woman who instantly captivates him. Unlike his fleeting liaisons, Casanova’s bond with Clementine is rooted in mutual intellect and philosophy; he buys her an entire library of over a hundred translated books from Lodi, ranging from science to romance. They debate physics, geometry, and literature late into the night. Though Clementine begs him to take her away as his wife, Casanova’s sobering experience and self-awareness intervene. Admitting his own fleeting nature and reluctance to dishonor her family, he declines. Moving onward through Lodi, Tortona, and Genoa alongside a new companion, Casanova continues his journey across Europe, driven ever forward by his unyielding desire to remain his own master.

How It Unfolds

A bargain in Turin Casanova negotiates the theatrical career of Agatha, attempting to protect her from low-paying offers while negotiating around the persistent, wealthy Lord Percy. He resolves his personal affairs and prepares his heavy baggage for a journey to Milan.

Life among the Milanese nobility Settling into Milan, Casanova embeds himself with the Count and Countess A. B., bribing domestic chaplains with fine chocolate and covering their household debts. He spends his nights in high-stakes faro games and re-establishes contact with his old Venetian friend Barbaro.

Intrigues with the tailor’s bride Casanova pursues Zenobia, buying her expensive lace and indulging in brief, clandestine encounters during her wedding celebrations. Her pragmatic tailor husband deliberately overlooks the affair to collect extra coin for his services.

The opera and the sorceress After outfitting the lovely Irene with shoes, lace, and domino masks for the carnival season, Casanova receives a strange warning from a Capuchin monk. Armed with pistols and a knife, he confronts a local sorceress to dismantle a potion meant to ruin him.

Courtship at St. Angelo Arriving at a grand, dilapidated Gothic palace in St. Angelo, Casanova encounters the gifted Clementine. He buys her a massive 100-volume library in Lodi, and the pair spend their evenings holding lively debates over geometry, literature, and love.

Parting and departure Casanova refuses Clementine’s offer to run away together, citing his financial instability and unwillingness to dishonor her family. He bids farewell to the estate and sets off through Tortona and Genoa with a new niece in tow.

The People

• Giacomo Casanova (Chevalier de Seingalt): The narrator and central figure, an inveterate gambler, traveler, and lover who lives entirely by his wits and fortune. He wants absolute freedom to pursue pleasure, but he is bounded by a strict personal code of generosity and honest self-awareness.
• Agatha: A young dancer under Casanova’s protection who seeks to establish her career during the carnival season. She navigates the balance between Casanova’s strict advice and Lord Percy’s lavish financial advances.
• Zenobia: A beautiful, sharp-witted woman married to a complacent Milanese tailor. She embraces Casanova’s advances and gifts while helping her husband profit from their wealthy guest.
• Barbaro: A Venetian noble’s son in exile, working in Milan. He attempts to draw Casanova into an illicit gambling scheme to cheat wealthy young club members.
• Clementine: A exceptionally clever, noble young woman living at the castle of St. Angelo. She seeks a deep intellectual and romantic partnership, but her hopes are dashed when Casanova refuses to compromise her family honor by marrying her.
• Count Ambrose: A dignified, poor Milanese nobleman who hosts Casanova at St. Angelo. He lives contentedly with his un-dowried wife, valuing virtue over worldly riches.

In Its Own Voice

"I have only used my fortune--in subservience to my pleasures." Casanova candidly explains his life philosophy to Irene's father when asked about his adventurous escape from the Venetian prison known as The Leads.

"She has taught me to look on everything we don't possess as a superfluity." Count Ambrose describes his modest, happy marriage to Casanova over dinner at the castle of St. Angelo.

"Affrighted love loses its strength but gains reason." Casanova reflects on his past heartbreaks while explaining to Clementine why he cannot risk taking her away as his wife.

What It's Really About

Beneath its buoyant surface of masquerades and amorous conquests, the book is a meditation on liberty, social hypocrisy, and the transience of human attachment. Casanova operates as an outsider who understands that 18th-century European society runs entirely on transactional exchanges—whether of money, social status, or affection. His interactions with tailors, impoverished nobles, and domestic priests expose a world where morality is routinely negotiated for financial survival. At the same time, his poignant relationship with Clementine highlights the central paradox of his life: his absolute devotion to personal independence prevents him from accepting genuine, lasting love. The narrative repeatedly questions whether true freedom can ever coexist with domestic happiness.

Why Read It Today

This volume offers an irresistible, unfiltered window into the daily realities of 18th-century Europe. Unlike sanitized historical fiction, Casanova’s writing captures the physical details of the era with startling immediacy—the cost of Turin chocolate, the mechanical mechanics of faro tables, the practical logistics of carriage travel, and the social contracts governing marriage and theatrical life. His narrative voice is remarkably modern: witty, self-aware, and completely free of moralizing pretense.

Readers must navigate periodic period attitudes, as Casanova’s views on romance and social class reflect the patriarchal norms of his century. Furthermore, his unceremonious admissions of cynicism can occasionally shock quiet sensibilities. Yet the prose moves with remarkable pace, balanced by moments of genuine intellectual depth—such as his spirited debates with Clementine over scientific texts and literature. It is an exceptional read for history enthusiasts, lovers of memoir, and anyone fascinated by a man who treated his entire existence as a grand, unrepeatable performance.