French Literature Reviews - 2026

Angelo Mainardi, Le Monde secret de Casanova
Writers: Biography, Letters and Memoirs

Angelo Mainardi

Le Monde secret de Casanova

Paris, Zulma, 2005, 32 €

Publisher's overview:

We all know Casanova the seducer, the libertine, fascinated by the people, customs, and ideas of his century... The adventurer traveling across Italy, England, Spain, and Russia... Casanova the interlocutor of Voltaire, Frederick II, and Mozart... Less well known is the Casanova fascinated by the occult forces at work in man and nature. The troubled soul revealed by his activities as a Freemason, alchemist, astrologer, and even sorcerer. A grand master of esotericism, a touchy rival to Cagliostro or the Count of Saint-Germain. In this erudite and lively essay, Angelo Mainardi offers an interpretation of the writer that is as original as it is captivating. Set against the backdrop of his various loves and escapades are his doubts, his moods, and all the nocturnal myths (Faust, the Golem, the Wandering Jew, Don Juan...) that haunted the dark imagination of the 18th century.

Angelo Mainardi, translator and publisher of French literature, cultural journalist, and novelist, lives in Rome. Le Monde secret de Casanova is his first essay translated into French.

While Giacomo Casanova is universally celebrated as the ultimate 18th-century libertine, traveler, and interlocutor to Enlightenment luminaries like Voltaire and Mozart, his deep engagement with the occult remains largely overlooked. Mainardi investigates the troubled inner life of a man fascinated by Freemasonry, alchemy, astrology, and esoteric arts, positioning him alongside notorious figures like Cagliostro and the Count of Saint-Germain. This erudite study broadens our understanding of the Enlightenment by examining the nocturnal myths, such as Faust and the Golem, that haunted the dark imagination of the period.

Ideal for readers interested in intellectual history, biography, and the complex currents of the European 18th century, this accessible essay sheds light on the lesser-known dimensions of a legendary life. It offers students and enthusiasts of cultural history a fresh perspective on how adventurous escapades and secret spiritual pursuits intertwined during an era of profound intellectual transformation. Mainardi brings his extensive background as a cultural journalist and translator to bear on this compelling portrait of Casanova's nocturnal mind.