Giacomo Casanova was a novelist.
Giacomo Girolamo Casanova ( [ ˈdʒaːkomo dʒiˈrɔːlamo kazaˈnɔːva ] or [ kasaˈnɔːva ] 2 April 1725 -- 4 June 1798 ) was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice . His autobiography , Histoire de ma vie ( Story of My Life ) , is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of the customs and norms of European social life during the 18th century .