Venice 1753. A comedy is being performed in St. Mark’s
Square. In the fore are the Procuratie,
with the Doge’s Palace on the other
side and the magniloquent Basilica
in the background. It is the same square where, a few scenes later, Carnival is
celebrated with the sparks of fireworks.
Pursued by the Inquisition after seducing a virgin,
Casanova escapes down the passageway leading to the Convent of San Giorgio, on
the island of the same name, right opposite St. Mark’s Square. As he leaps over
the rooftops, he sneaks through a window and into the University of Venice,
where a debate is being held, and the beautiful Francesca is presenting her
theories against the rampant male chauvinism of the era. In 1800 Venice did not
yet have its own university (Ca’ Foscari University was only founded in 1868),
and the interior shots were taken at the Olympic
Theatre of Vicenza, which was commissioned to Andrea Palladio by the Accademia
Olimpica. Building work began in 1580 and the theatre was opened five years
later. It is well known for Vincenzo Scamozzi’s famous onstage scenery. Today
the theatre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with other Palladian works
in Vicenza.
After escaping sentencing for the umpteenth time,
Casanova takes a stroll with the Doge, who intervened on his behalf, on the loggia of the Doge’s
Palace.
It’s Carnival in Venice and the Doge organises a
masked ball at the Doge’s Palace, although the hall where the ball takes place
is actually the Chapter House of the Scuola
Grande di San Rocco, which was built
between 1524 and 1546 and decorated by Tintoretto.
Venice is portrayed like something
from a fairy tale from above when Giacomo surprises Francesca with a hot air
balloon ride during Carnival, Baroque with its richly decorated interiors and the
scenes at Santa Maria della Salute, and romantic in its alleyways, bridges and canals opening out onto the Lagoon.
In some of the shots of the exciting
final escape, we return to Vicenza, more specifically to outside Palazzo Trissino, but the final scene takes place on the Grand Canal full of dozens of period vessels.
Venice 1753. A comedy is being performed in St. Mark’s
Square. In the fore are the Procuratie,
with the Doge’s Palace on the other
side and the magniloquent Basilica
in the background. It is the same square where, a few scenes later, Carnival is
celebrated with the sparks of fireworks.
Pursued by the Inquisition after seducing a virgin,
Casanova escapes down the passageway leading to the Convent of San Giorgio, on
the island of the same name, right opposite St. Mark’s Square. As he leaps over
the rooftops, he sneaks through a window and into the University of Venice,
where a debate is being held, and the beautiful Francesca is presenting her
theories against the rampant male chauvinism of the era. In 1800 Venice did not
yet have its own university (Ca’ Foscari University was only founded in 1868),
and the interior shots were taken at the Olympic
Theatre of Vicenza, which was commissioned to Andrea Palladio by the Accademia
Olimpica. Building work began in 1580 and the theatre was opened five years
later. It is well known for Vincenzo Scamozzi’s famous onstage scenery. Today
the theatre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with other Palladian works
in Vicenza.
After escaping sentencing for the umpteenth time,
Casanova takes a stroll with the Doge, who intervened on his behalf, on the loggia of the Doge’s
Palace.
It’s Carnival in Venice and the Doge organises a
masked ball at the Doge’s Palace, although the hall where the ball takes place
is actually the Chapter House of the Scuola
Grande di San Rocco, which was built
between 1524 and 1546 and decorated by Tintoretto.
Venice is portrayed like something
from a fairy tale from above when Giacomo surprises Francesca with a hot air
balloon ride during Carnival, Baroque with its richly decorated interiors and the
scenes at Santa Maria della Salute, and romantic in its alleyways, bridges and canals opening out onto the Lagoon.
In some of the shots of the exciting
final escape, we return to Vicenza, more specifically to outside Palazzo Trissino, but the final scene takes place on the Grand Canal full of dozens of period vessels.
Abandoned by his mother at a young age, Giacomo Casanova becomes a deft ladies man until, countless beds later, he ends up falling for Francesca, who won’t be overpowered by a man.
