The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Volume 27: Expelled from Spain

In Short

The twenty-seventh volume of Giacomo Casanova’s memoirs recounts his forced departure from Madrid, his erratic travels through Barcelona and the South of France, and his return toward Italy. Along the way, he suffers imprisonment, falls in with dangerous lovers and noble eccentricities, and attempts to write his way back into the good graces of the Venetian Republic. It has lasted because it captures the vivid, unvarnished reality of Enlightenment Europe through the eyes of an extraordinary, self-aware rogue whose vital spirit outlives his youth.

The Story

The volume opens in Madrid, where Casanova’s prospects collapse after a misstep alienates his influential friend Manucci and brings down the wrath of the Venetian ambassador. Deprived of political hopes and running low on funds, Casanova prepares to leave Spain. A noble Genoese bookseller lends him money without security, allowing him to travel to Barcelona.

In Barcelona, Casanova entangles himself with Nina, the notoriously unpredictable and scandalous mistress of the Spanish viceroy, the Count de Ricla. Her reckless affection and his own imprudence draw the suspicion of the state. Following an assassination attempt, Casanova finds himself abruptly arrested and thrown into the citadel. Though his papers are confiscated, he defends his passports fiercely. The authorities eventually clear him of subversion but order him expelled from Catalonia.

Crossing into France, Casanova experiences an immediate sense of relief. He delights in the intellectual ease, culinary pleasures, and polite society of Montpellier, Beziers, and Aix. In Aix, he frequents literary salons, exchanges classical texts with the Marquis d'Argens, and engages in spirited debates with a local Jesuit over papal politics and the pending suppression of the order. During these peaceful months, he reflects deeply on his life and commits himself to writing his voluminous memoirs, explicitly rejecting advice to burn his confessions.

Moving onward through Marseilles and Leghorn, Casanova observes the complicated scandals of the European gentry, including a bizarre marital agreement engineered by an Englishman named Acton. In Siena and along the Italian post-roads, Casanova meets an English girl named Betty, who has been seduced and virtually abandoned by a fraudulent French count styling himself the Comte de l'Etoile. Recognizing her innocence and the count's villainy, Casanova steps in to protect her. When the count attempts to prostitute Betty to win a bet, Casanova draws his sword, forcing the rogue to flee. Casanova then escorts Betty toward safety, eventually wrestling her enraged fiancé, Sir B. M., to the floor of an inn until the truth of his chivalrous intervention is revealed. Through all these turns, Casanova works relentlessly on historical refutations to appease the Venetian Inquisitors, driven by a desperate longing to return to his native home.

How It Unfolds

Expelled from Madrid After incurring the hostility of the Venetian ambassador and losing his official prospects, Casanova prepares to leave Madrid. A generous Genoese bookseller advances him seventeen hundred francs on his word alone, enabling his journey onward.

The hazard of Nina Arriving in Barcelona, Casanova takes up with Nina, the viceroy’s fiery mistress. Her public audacity and secret meetings with Casanova ignite the jealousy of powerful authorities.

Imprisonment in the citadel Following a night attack by unknown assailants, Casanova is arrested and locked in the Barcelona citadel while his papers are searched. He demands respect for his royal passports and is eventually set free with orders to quit Spain immediately.

The ease of Southern France Crossing into Montpellier and Aix, Casanova revels in French hospitality, fine dining, and theater. He enters the local high society, debates religion and politics, and exchanges rare classical volumes with the Marquis d'Argens.

Commencing the memoirs Prompted by conversations on truth and vanity, Casanova redoubles his commitment to writing his life story. He uses the labor of writing ten to twelve hours a day to ward off melancholy in his older years.

The rescue of Betty On the road to Rome, Casanova encounters Betty, a young Englishwoman traveling with a fraudulent French count. When the count tries to force her into dishonor, Casanova defends her, drives the scoundrel away, and shields her from the fury of her searching fiancé.

The People

• Giacomo Casanova: The narrator and central figure. Aging, financially precarious, and increasingly reflective, he seeks pleasure and intellectual company while yearning for permission to return to Venice.
• Nina: A brilliant, vengeful Spanish dancer and mistress to the Count de Ricla. She uses her physical charms and utter disregard for social convention to scandalize authority and manipulate the men around her.
• Baron de Fraiture: A profligate gambler and cheat from Liège whose presence in Madrid disrupts Casanova's promising political connections.
• Carrado: An exceptionally honest Genoese bookseller in Madrid who generously lends Casanova seventeen hundred francs without collateral.
• Marquis d'Argens: A learned French scholar residing in Aix. He exchanges literary gifts with Casanova and warns him against the dangers of writing an honest autobiography.
• Comte de l'Etoile: A cowardly French imposter who seduces young Betty, assumes a fake title, and attempts to trade her favors to satisfy a bet before fleeing Casanova's drawn sword.
• Betty: A gentle, naive Englishwoman trapped in a fake marriage with l'Etoile. She retains her virtue and composure through Casanova's timely protection.

In Its Own Voice

"If these Memoirs are ever read, I repeat, they will only be read when I am gone, and all censure will be lost on me."

Casanova reflects on the futility of public judgment as he writes his life story in his quiet, lonely old age.

"A man can have no object in deceiving himself, and it is for myself that I chiefly write."

He defends the absolute honesty of his narrative, insisting that self-examination leaves no room for falsehood.

"I write ten or twelve hours a day, and so keep black melancholy at bay."

Casanova reveals the underlying motive for his massive literary undertaking while living out his final years in Bohemia.

What It's Really About

Beyond the travel notes and romantic escapades, this volume explores the melancholy of aging and the fragile nature of independence. Casanova finds himself caught between the decaying aristocratic order and his own diminishing youth. His commentary contrasts the paranoid, rigid legalism of Spain with the open, intellectual sociability of pre-revolutionary France. Writing becomes his final sanctuary—a conscious effort to preserve his identity, process past indiscretions, and fight off despair when physical vigor begins to fade.

Why Read It Today

This volume appeals to readers who enjoy vivid historical travelogues, psychological candor, and the social panorama of eighteenth-century Europe. Casanova writes with remarkable clarity and zero self-pity, observing high society and low-life scoundrels with an equal, sharp eye. The prose is unpretentious, direct, and filled with sharp observations on human nature, law, and custom across borders.

Readers must navigate period attitudes toward women and class, as well as Casanova's unashamed admission of his own self-interest. Yet the text remains surprisingly modern in its self-awareness. It offers a rare, unfiltered view of an iconic historical figure facing the onset of age with a pen in hand.

<ElicitationsGroup message="To explore Casanova's memoirs further:"> <Elicitation label="Analyze Casanova's comparative views on French vs. Spanish society" query="Based on Volume 27 of Casanova's memoirs, break down his explicit comparisons between Spanish and French governance, culture, and hospitality."/> <Elicitation label="Examine the role of autobiography and memory in Casanova's writings" query="Based on Volume 27 of Casanova's memoirs, detail his stated reasons for writing his life story and how he responds to the Marquis d'Argens' warnings about truthful memoirs."/> </ElicitationsGroup>