Casanova and Europe. An Opera in Several Acts

On the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the birth of Giacomo Casanova, an emblematic figure of eighteenth-century Europe, the Fondazione Giorgio Cini is honouring the celebrated Venetian with an extensive cultural and exhibition project. The initiative is structured in two chapters: the first, Casanova and Venice, will be held at Palazzo Cini at San Vio from 27 September 2025 to 2 March 2026; the second, on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore, entitled Casanova and Europe. An Opera in Several Acts, will run from 17 October 2025 to 2 March 2026.

Venice, the city from which Casanova, like many others, set off to travel through a Europe in transformation, was one of the continent’s cultural hubs and, during that turbulent period, was experiencing the final stages of the Republic. The challenge undertaken by the Foundation has been to convey the many faces of Casanova and the countless facets of his time.

Casanova and Europe. An Opera in Several Acts has been developed in collaboration with La Fenice Opera House Foundation for the design and realisation of the installations. Staged on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore, the exhibition offers an extraordinary insight into the wealth of materials preserved and studied by the Institutes of the Fondazione Giorgio Cini, narrated through the figure and era of Casanova.

The project captures the vibrancy of the European cultural landscape, the intensity of intellectual exchange, and the richness of perspectives in a time of great transformation: from the decline of the Ancien Régime to the Napoleonic period, and the dawn of the industrial and liberal revolutions of the nineteenth century.

Opening hours and admission

Open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last admission at 5:15 p.m.). Closed on Wednesdays. Free admission.

SPECIAL CLOSURES

The exhibition will be closed on 25 and 26 December 2025 and on 1 January 2026.