The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Volume 21: South of France

In Short

This installment of Giacomo Casanova’s memoirs recounts his mid-eighteenth-century travels across the South of France and Italy, centered around extended stays in Genoa, Marseilles, and Lyons. Operating under the title Chevalier de Seingalt, Casanova moves fluidly through every stratum of European society, alternating between high-stakes gambling, theatrical scheme-craft, and complex amorous liaisons. Throughout his journeys, he manages a entourage of companions, eludes criminal extortion, and orchestrates elaborate mystical rituals to exploit wealthy aristocrats. The narrative endures for its sparkling portrait of an age defined by elegance, appetite, and endless reinvention.

The Story

The narrative opens in Genoa, where Casanova arrives accompanied by a questionable suite of associates, including his disgraced brother, an abbe, and the treacherous secretary Possano. Seeking out old acquaintances, Casanova reunites with Rosalie, a former lover who has since achieved respectable domestic bliss as Madame Paretti. With Rosalie’s help, Casanova takes under his wing a young woman from Marseilles whom he presents to society as his niece. He quickly becomes involved in local high-stakes gambling, breaking a bank at trente-quarante and winning thousands of sequins. The local gambling community instantly accuses him of conspiring with the dealer, but Casanova pockets his gains and prepares for his next movement.

Adding the spirited Venetian girl Marcoline to his party, Casanova arranges a luxurious felucca to transport his household along the coast toward France. Upon reaching Monaco, he playfully outwits a local official by marooning his brother and secretary on the shore, sailing ahead to Antibes to secure private intimacy with his companions. From Antibes, the party travels to Marseilles, where Casanova’s main financial engine awaits: the immensely wealthy and remarkably credulous Marchioness d'Urfe.

In Marseilles, Casanova balances multiple delicate operations simultaneously. He safely delivers his supposed niece into an advantageous marriage with a Genoa merchant, settles his accounts, and manages Marcoline’s generous allowance. To satisfy Madame d'Urfe’s obsession with the occult, Casanova devises an elaborate series of esoteric rituals. He disguises Marcoline as an elemental spirit—an "Undine"—to participate in a secret, multi-stage ceremonial bath designed to magically rejuvenate the aging marchioness. Convincing Madame d'Urfe that the final stage of her transformation requires pouring consecrated sea-water into the Rhone and the Saone, he sends her ahead to Lyons.

Casanova and Marcoline follow her to Lyons, travelling through Avignon, where they encounter old lovers and needy acquaintances, bestowing charity and engaging in casual intrigues along the way. Upon arriving in Lyons, however, Casanova finds his schemes threatened by Possano, who has begun spreading malicious slander and threatening criminal proceedings to extort money. Refusing to yield to blackmail, Casanova secures legal counsel and demands police protection. The dispute is quietly settled when a local associate pays Possano to sign a full retraction and leave the city. Free of the threat, Casanova concludes his affairs with Madame d'Urfe and begins planning his next journey toward England.

How It Unfolds

Reunions in Genoa Casanova arrives in Genoa, visiting his former mistress Rosalie, now happily married, and takes a charming young woman from Marseilles under his protection as his supposed niece.

Vindication at the tables After winning a fortune at trente-quarante, Casanova brush off accusations of cheating from local gamblers and prepares an elaborate felucca for his voyage to France.

Sailing to Antibes Casanova intentionally leaves his troublesome brother and secretary stranded on the shore at Monaco, sailing ahead with his mistresses to enjoy an uninterrupted journey to Antibes.

Arrangements in Marseilles Arriving in Marseilles, Casanova orchestrates the respectable marriage of his "niece" to a wealthy Genoese suitor while establishing his Venetian mistress Marcoline in luxurious quarters.

The rites of Semiramis To fleece the wealthy Madame d'Urfe, Casanova dresses Marcoline as an occult spirit and conducts a series of elaborate, ritualistic baths designed to restore the old woman's youth.

The road through Avignon Casanova sends Madame d'Urfe ahead to Lyons and follows her by carriage, pausing in Avignon to cross paths with impoverished acquaintances and trade favors.

Extortion in Lyons Upon reaching Lyons, Casanova discovers that his vengeful former secretary Possano is threatening legal action, prompting Casanova to seek legal counsel and force a signed retraction.

The People

• Giacomo Casanova (Chevalier de Seingalt): The narrator and central figure, a sharp-witted Venetian adventurer driven by appetite, vanity, and a genuine delight in orchestrating the good fortune of those he loves.
• Madame d'Urfe (Semiramis): An immensely wealthy French marchioness consumed by occult fantasies, whose complete belief in magical rebirth makes her the ideal target for Casanova's lucrative deceptions.
• Marcoline: A vibrant, affectionate Venetian girl rescued from poverty by Casanova, who becomes his loyal companion and co-conspirator in his elaborate theatrical charades.
• Rosalie (Madame Paretti): Casanova's former mistress, now comfortably married in Genoa, who receives her former lover with warmth and helps him navigate local society.
• The "Niece": A beautiful young woman from Marseilles whom Casanova rescues from despair, protects on her travels, and ultimately guides into an advantageous marriage.
• Possano (Pogomas): Casanova's corrupt, ungrateful former secretary whose attempts to extort his master through legal threats create the narrative's central conflict in Lyons.

In Its Own Voice

"I own that I have always felt a keener pleasure in doing good than in anything else, though, perhaps, I may not always have done good from strictly disinterested motives."

Casanova reflects on his character after securing a prosperous marriage for his companion in Genoa.

"It is the weariness of a journey, the constant monotony, that makes one do something to make sure of one's existence; and when it comes to the reckoning there is usually more joy than repentance."

On the road between Genoa and Marseilles, Casanova observes how travel loosens moral inhibitions.

"I profited by her folly; she would have found someone else to deceive her, if I had not done so, for it was really she who deceived herself."

Casanova candidly justifies his ongoing financial exploitation of the eccentric Madame d'Urfe.

What It's Really About

Beneath its glittering surface of romantic conquests and card tables, the book is a meditation on human credulity and self-invention. Casanova operates in a world where identity is fluid and performance is everything. His interactions with Madame d'Urfe demonstrate how readily people accept outrageous absurdities when those lies align with their deepest desires. Yet the narrative is not merely cynical; it explores the paradox of a life lived for pleasure, where self-interest and genuine generosity frequently overlap. Casanova takes real pride in leaving his companions richer, happier, and better situated than he found them. Ultimately, the book investigates the delicate art of survival in an aristocratic society, where wit, adaptability, and nerve are the only true currency.

Why Read It Today

This volume offers an unvarnished, highly entertaining look into the social mechanics of eighteenth-century Europe. Readers who enjoy historical memoirs, vivid travel narratives, and classic rogue literature will find Casanova’s voice irresistible. He writes with a rare combination of shameless candor, psychological insight, and rhythmic narrative momentum.

The reading experience feels like sitting across a tavern table from an exceptionally articulate scoundrel who hides nothing about his flaws or his stratagems. The book does present certain period challenges: the casual moral laxity, the transactional view of romance, and the explicit exploitation of an elderly woman's mental decline may test modern sensibilities. Furthermore, the prose reflects the expansive, detailed style of eighteenth-century memoir writing. Yet for those willing to meet the author on his own terms, the book provides a uniquely intimate document of an era—capturing its elegance, its absurdities, and its unfettered pursuit of pleasure with unmatched precision.