Tuesday 19 November 2019

CASANOVA



Giacomo Casanova, 1725 - 1798, had affairs with women, and girls, and boys.

Casanova suffered from syphilis.

"One suspects that, writing his memoir to amuse himself when dogged by syphilis and melancholy towards the end of his life, he embroidered the more salacious episodes."

Casanova: the scandalous libertine who seduced his own daughter

"Casanova spent his final years as a poor outcast, bored and dissatisfied with life.

Casanova Was Also a Grave Robber 


Casanova was born in Venice.

"Casanova was initiated into carnal pleasures at the age of 11 by the 14-year-old sister of his tutor in Padua."


"Casanova was thrown out of the seminary in which had trained to become a priest for being discovered in bed with another male student."

"Casanova was a committed follower of the Kabbalah, the mystical Jewish cult holding a deep fascination for him to the extent that he attributed his life's successes to its power."

Enlightenment on Casanova's sexual preferences 


"Casanova’s fascination with the teachings of the Kabbalah, codes and zodiacal mysticism allowed him to exploit the outlandish beliefs of the credulous rich, and extract serious amounts of money from them."


...

"Cadsanova presented Louis XV with a 13-year-old candidate for his entourage, whose virginity was confirmed by the royal hand before purchase."

Casanova: the scandalous libertine who seduced his own daughter

"Having newly met the 16-year-old who turned out to be his own daughter and finding her longing for a child but yoked to an impotent duke, he left her pregnant."

Casanova: the scandalous libertine who seduced his own daughter


...

"Same-sex behaviour has been identified among more than a thousand animal species, from variegated sea urchins and molluscs to bonin flying foxes , snow geese and domestic cows.

"Perhaps we’ve been looking at it all wrong, suggest Julia Monk, from Yale University, US, and colleagues, by assuming that heterosexuality is the default position."

Were animal ancestors bisexual? | Cosmos


...

"Researchers believe that  homosexual behaviour was part of our earliest DNA."

Gay behaviour 'is the norm for most animals' ... - Daily Mail


Giacomo Casanova.

Casanova took part in sexual acts with males, "and without complaint".

"He fell in love with a boy." (physics - Giacomo Casanova)


Venice.

In Chapter 11 of The memoirs of Casanova ( The memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, by Giacomo Casanova ... ) we read:

"One of the two boys... was remarkably handsome and might have been seventeen. I thought he was a ‘castrato’ who, as is the custom in Rome, performed all the parts of a prima donna. 

"The mother presented ... her other son, likewise very good-looking, but more manly than the ‘castrato’, although younger. His name was Petronio...


"I returned to my room and sent Petronio for a bottle of Cyprus wine. He brought the wine and seven sequins, the change for the doubloon I had given him. 

"I divided them between Bellino, Cecilia and Marina, and begged the two young girls to leave me alone with their brother.

“Bellino, I am certain that your natural conformation is different from mine; my dear, you are a girl.

“I am a man, but a castrato; I have been examined.

“Allow me to examine you likewise, and I will give you a doubloon.

“I cannot, for it is evident that you love me, and such love is condemned by religion.

“You did not raise these objections with the bishop’s chaplain.

“He was an elderly priest, and besides, he only just glanced at me.

“I will know the truth,” said I, extending my hand boldly.

"But he repulsed me and rose from his chair. His obstinacy vexed me, for I had already spent fifteen or sixteen sequins to satisfy my curiosity."


John Masters' 1969 biography, Casanova, pointed out that Casanova practiced bisexuality. (The Casanova Controversy - TIME)

John Masters, in his book Casanova , 1969:

"A page of notes in his handwriting, found among his papers, contains the following notes, as though for chapter headings:

"Mes amours avec Camille; Pédérastie avec X."

Prof. Luna on p. 70 of her book:


"Three specific allusions to homosexual relations were censured at the time of Casanova's final revision of the Memoirs: 'My love for the Duke of Elbouef's fancy boy'.

"'Pederasty with * in Dunkirk'.

"'Pederasty with Bazin and his sisters' (Marr 31-61).

"Perhaps one should also add to this series the note on 'the ring in Etorière's underpants' (Marr 16 k 45), which was also cut; it is well-known that in vol. 4 (p.49), where Casanova is in love with the beautiful M.M., he compares her to Antinoos and to Etorière whom he had 'met in Paris,' and who had a reputation as 'one of the handsomest men in Paris.'"

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2 Comments:

At 19 November 2019 at 11:04 , Anonymous Brabantian said...

One striking performance of Casanova, was that by a late 50s Marcello Mastroianni playing a much older Casanova in the brilliant 1982 Italian-French film 'La Nuit de Varennes', which also starred Hanna Schygulla as a Countess and Harvey Keitel as Anglo revolutionary Thomas Paine

This film also paints Casanova as bi-sexually open

The movie is roughly based on true events of 1791, where King Louis XVI nearly escaped from France as far as the little town of Varennes, and many people were ambiguous about what to do in a time of political uncertainty ... rather like our own time

Here, the famous scene where Mastroianni kisses an admiring male restaurant waiter, Casanova declaring that, sexually, 'Don't exclude anything on principle' - 50 seconds (subtitles in Portuguese here)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA5fqBUzoQI

Here's a 5 minute scene of Mastroianni as Casanova with English subtitles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znKWqaObL1A

What I couldn't find a clip of, is a wonderful scene in a carriage ride where Casanova is with two ladies and another observer, and a magnificent flirtation is underway despite the age difference ... the other man spoils the party by exulting out loud about being able to possibly watch a seduction by the famous Casanova ... but Casanova then is deflated and withdraws his romantic foray, pointing out that "For love, one needs ... le mystère - mystery"

 
At 20 November 2019 at 22:29 , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Cassnova is thought of having been a spy for the Venetians, could explain his wealth and travels and being at the courts of european aristocracy.
Also can be mentioned that Casanova is also a jewish surname in Italy. So he could be jewish, nice nose he had! Bisexuality is not unusual for spies, better actors???

 

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