On the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the birth of Giacomo Casanova, an emblematic figure of 18th century Europe, the Giorgio Cini Foundation is dedicating a major exhibition and cultural project to the famous Venetian.
The first chapter of the dual exhibition opens at Palazzo Cini in San Vio, from September 27, 2025 to March 2, 2026. Curated by the Institute of Art History, with the participation of the Institute for Theatre and Melodrama, the exhibition retraces the multifaceted figure of Casanova – writer, memoirist, philosopher, alchemist, traveler, and diplomat – through the troubled century of the 18th century that concludes with the fall of the Serenissima.
Through nearly a hundred works, including paintings, engravings, books, art objects, and documents from the collections of the Foundation and prestigious Italian and European institutions, the exhibition narrates the refined, cultured, and contradictory world of 18th century Venice — the century of Casanova. The exhibition is part of a broader cultural program involving all the institutions of the Giorgio Cini Foundation, with conferences, concerts, and seminars dedicated to the connection between Casanova, Venice, and Europe.
These are also the two main themes of the dual exhibition, which is organized in two venues: Casanova and Venice at Palazzo Cini in San Vio (September 27, 2025 – March 2, 2026) with a focus on Venice, the birthplace and the first stage of Casanova's life. Casanova and Europe. A Work in Multiple Acts on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore (October 17, 2025 – March 2, 2026): a look at Europe and the network of travels, relationships, and adventures that made Casanova a quintessentially European figure. The exhibition Casanova and Europe. A Work in Multiple Acts is produced in collaboration with the Teatro La Fenice Foundation for the installation arrangements.
