Palazzo Malipiero (Malipiero Palace), Venice

Clearly fancying the good life, the young Casanova forged a friendship with Senator Malipiero, an aristocrat who called the Malipiero Palace his home. From 1740 onwards, Giacomo lived in the grandiose palace, where he accelerated education in elite living: how to dine well, drink wisely, dress the part, and generally, how to conduct himself in high society (meaning to say exactly the right thing at exactly the right moment). Within the walls of this renowned Venetian residence, which doubled as a social crossroads, Casanova established relationships with influential individuals who held insider knowledge of the city's affairs, and with a great many fashionable ladies "who lived their lives to the full".

This period proved formative in more ways than one. Here, Casanova's carnal knowledge of the opposite sex was initiated by two sisters, Nanetta and Marta, who were 14 and 16 years old, respectively. Casanova felt himself falling in love with both and claimed his lifetime pursuit of women was rooted in this early encounter. The experience certainly emboldened him to venture deeper into society. Venetian women had a style all their own, which drew outsiders to their seductive, playful, fiery style. They dyed their hair many shades of blond, wore elaborate makeup, and regarded their admirers with a provocative expression, daring them to try their luck.

Inevitably, enthusiasm outran discretion. After being discovered in a compromising situation, "dallying" with Senator Malipiero's young protégé, Teresa Imer, Casanova was promptly banished from the palace in 1742. His fall from privilege was swift and public. Humiliated, he had to endure another dislocation when the guardian priests supervising his education transferred him to a seminary, as a corrective measure, to prevent him from falling prey to the snares of the world (hoping that distance and discipline might temper his impulses).

Alas, that experiment failed almost immediately. Nine days after arriving at the seminary, Casanova was dismissed for being found in bed with a young boy. In the years to come, he acknowledged that curiosity, rather than conformity, would always define his path—romantic, intellectual, and otherwise. And he would not deny himself the occasional homosexual adventure either.

Malipiero Palace taught Casanova how society functioned, how reputations were made and lost, and how quickly pleasure could turn to peril. Armed with charm, confidence, and a taste for risk, he was ready to re-enter Venice—not as a guest, but as a player...