Seducer, Spy, and Mozart’s Friend. Explore Casanova's Life in Czechia.

Casanova in Czechia: The Final Chapter of the Legendary Seducer’s Life

The name Giacomo Casanova has become synonymous with philanderers, seducers, and lovers of all pleasures. The renowned Italian adventurer spent the final years of his life at Duchcov Chateau in Czechia. Join us—Duchcov is waiting for you. But why did he spend his last years there?

Giacomo Casanova: Seducer, Spy, and Mozart’s Friend

Giacomo Casanova was born on 2 April 1725 in Venice into a family of actors. Although he did not come from the nobility, his intelligence, charisma, and ability to move among the elite allowed him to establish connections across Europe.

His life was filled with love affairs, travels, and encounters with figures such as Voltaire, Mozart, and Empress Catherine the Great. Besides that, he worked as a diplomat, spy, philosopher, writer, and violinist. His charm was said to be irresistible, as evidenced by the more than 130 women he mentioned as his lovers in his memoirs.

In 1788, composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart arrived in Prague to conduct the premiere of his opera Don Giovanni at the Nostitz Theatre (now the Estates Theatre). Everything suggests that Giacomo Casanova was among the audience, as he knew Mozart. Casanova was a great admirer of opera, and there is even speculation that he assisted the librettist with revisions to the text. The character of Don Giovanni, an insatiable seducer, strongly resembles Casanova’s own lifestyle.

Giacomo Casanova arrived in Duchcov after being exiled from Venice, thanks to his friend Count Josef Karel of Waldstein, who offered him the position of librarian at his chateau in 1785. By then, Casanova was famous across Europe not only for his romantic escapades but also for numerous scandals and conflicts due to his fiery temperament.

Casanova’s Life in Duchcov

It was in Duchcov that Casanova devoted himself to writing and completed his famous Memoirs, in which he reminisced about his eventful life. The Baroque Duchcov Chateau, adorned with work by the renowned sculptor Matthias Bernard Braun, is located in North Bohemia, less than a hundred kilometres from Prague. In addition to an exhibition dedicated to Casanova, the chateau offers magnificent historical interiors and an extensive French-style park.

Visitors can explore a special tour route featuring rooms where Casanova lived, including his bedroom, personal belongings, and even the armchair in which he died on 4 June 1798.

The museum in Duchcov houses a dedicated research centre, the only one of its kind in the world, focused exclusively on Casanova.

Duchcov and its surroundings are also notable for their proximity to the spa town of Teplice, which has been visited in the past by prominent figures such as Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Frédéric Chopin.

Programme for the 300th Anniversary of Giacomo Casanova’s Birth:

6 June 2025: Opening of the Casanova celebrations in the courtyard of Duchcov Chateau
7 June: Casanova celebrations
7 June: Costume tours
23 August: Castle and Chateau Night – creative workshop on making carnival masks
19–20 September: German-Czech theatre play about Casanova’s final days
(in cooperation with the Theatrekahn company from Dresden)
11 October: Evening theatrical tours in the style of the Venetian carnival, culminating in Casanova’s arrival at Duchcov