On the night of October 31, 1756, Giacomo Casanova — adventurer, writer, spy, and the most famous lover in European history — accomplished what no prisoner had ever done before: he escaped from the Piombi, the dreaded "Leads" prison cells located directly beneath the lead roof of the Doge's Palace. His escape remains one of the most celebrated prison breaks of all time, and his own account of it, "Histoire de ma fuite," is one of the greatest adventure narratives ever written.
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Tricksters & Folk Tales·1/3·1′
The place
Venice — St. Mark's Basilica & Doge's Palace
Casanova's Impossible Escape from the Leads
The world's greatest lover breaks out of the world's most secure prison
18th century (1755-1756)Venice — St. Mark's Basilica & Doge's Palace
Moral of the Story
“Freedom belongs to those who refuse to accept the impossible — and genius finds its tools in the most unlikely places.”
Characters
G
Giacomo CasanovaF
Father Marino BalbiS
State Inquisitors of VeniceSource
Casanova, Giacomo. Histoire de ma fuite des prisons de la République de Venise, 1788; Masters, John. Casanova, 1969