After almost eighteen years of absence, Giacomo Casanova returned to Venice in 1774, finding a city profoundly changed. With the death of his protector, Matteo Bragadin, and the suspension of his allowance, Casanova found himself in financial difficulty.
Among the few friends left was Pietro Zaguri, a Venetian patrician and architecture enthusiast. Zaguri advised him to move to Trieste, near the Venetian border, to demonstrate his good conduct under the surveillance of the informants of the State Inquisitors.
Trieste proved to be the right choice, thanks to its proximity to Muggia, Venetian territory, and the presence of Baron Pietro Pittoni, head of Austrian police, introduced to Casanova by Zaguri. Following his friend’s advice, Casanova began a new phase of his life, accepting the role of informant for the State Inquisitors and adapting to the challenges of his time.
