Giacomo Casanova, a 21-year-old and penniless violinist at the San Samuele theater, crossed paths with the noble Matteo Bragadin one seemingly ordinary evening. After returning a fallen letter to the patrician, he was invited to board his gondola. During the ride, Bragadin suffered a sudden illness: Giacomo recognized the signs of a heart attack and escorted him to his home in Campo Santa Marina. His quick thinking saved Bragadin’s life, who, moved by the young man’s determination, took him under his protection.
Bragadin became a father figure to Giacomo, affectionately calling him “Giacomino.” He provided him with a monthly allowance of ten zecchini, a financial support that lasted until the nobleman’s death in 1767 and often became Casanova’s only source of income during difficult times. More than a benefactor, Bragadin was a mentor who guided him through the politics and judicial system of Venice. He advised Casanova on when to leave the city to avoid danger and tried to protect him when the feared State Inquisitors – the “babai” – began suspecting him.
Despite offering him one hundred zecchini and a gondola to escape, Giacomo, convinced his innocence would shield him, ignored the advice. His trust was misplaced: he was arrested and imprisoned in the Piombi, Venice’s infamous prisons. Yet even then, Bragadin’s support remained a constant presence in his life.
