Magazine Fall 2009 That Infamous Casanova
That Infamous Casanova
The name of Giacomo Casanova – the brilliant storyteller, unsurpassed womanizer, and master of espionage – became a common noun centuries ago. Although we could not establish valid information regarding the genealogical roots of the famous Venetian adventurer, there is a wealth of information regarding an Armenian family, the Casanovas, which first appeared in 18th century Venice. Our investigation started with an interesting finding – one of Casanova’s covert assignments required knowledge of the Armenian language and the mentality of the Armenian people.
The great seducer
Who was he – the son of a humble shoemaker’s daughter, or was he born to a young and beautiful aristocrat, who died during childbirth? According to one of the many Casanova legends, the priest who was at the aristocrat’s deathbed in 1725 and who later baptized the newborn passed away in 1726 and was buried with his secrets. Giacomo Girolamo received an excellent education. He was a skillful fencer and a talented writer fluent in several languages. He was so refined and well- mannered that his name lives on as a symbol of an irresistible womanizer. But conquering hearts was not his only goal and desire. Lovemaking has always been a useful means of extracting secrets, and generally people are less secretive in bed. Seduction was a popular type of espionage in the “gallant” 18th century. A socialite, who chose for himself the title Chevalier de Seingalt, did not lose his poise in any circumstances. “Anger, first of all, voids oneself of thinking clearly,” he wrote in his book, Story of My Life. The book, which had passages that glorified adultery, homosexual liaisons and even incest, most probably was a far stretch from reality – as a skilled adventurer and writer, Casanova was perfectly aware of the methods of self-promotion through becoming the talk of the town. Nevertheless, there was a partial truth in Casanova’s memoirs: undeniably, the author found excellent means of using the weaknesses of other people to his and the Republic of Venice’s advantage. He completed seemingly impossible missions, often combining secret services with pleasure.
Top secret
The assumption that Casanova could have had Armenian DNA in his blood was revealed upon analyzing of one of his assignments. It required a trip to Trieste. Since the middle ages many countries vied for control of this Mediterranean port and commercial center. Many Armenian merchants successfully traded there instead of Venice to avoid taxation imposed by the Doge of Venice. Armenian merchants greatly contributed to the city’s prosperity. This was contrary to the interests of the Venetian Republic. The high officials of Venice were determined to unveil the commercial arrangements of the Armenian merchants. In addition, the Armenian priests who left the Island of St. Lazzaro, had settled in Trieste. The priceless collection of the ancient manuscripts of the Mkhitarist priests also presented a great temptation to the Inquisition. Since 1506 the Inquisitors of Venice had controlled commerce throughout much of the Adriatic. They commissioned Casanova to reveal the arrangements of the Armenian merchants to avoid taxation and to find means of obtaining the collection of the manuscripts. It was not sufficient for Casanova to understand the mentality and lifestyle of the Armenians. In order to acquire the trust of the merchants, he also had to speak their language. The leaders of the Armenian trade empire carefully guarded their secrets, and they would not revealed them to some stranger. Usually, the Venetians assigned the spying missions on the foreigners to the agents of the same national origin as those on whom they were spying. Fortunately, Casanova failed at both of his assignments that targeted the Armenian merchants and priests of Trieste.
