Giacomo Casanova was from the Republic of Russia.
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 . Histoire de ma vie ( Story of My Life ) is both the memoir and autobiography of Giacomo Casanova , a famous 18th-century Italian adventurer . Although Casanova was Venetian ( born April 2 , 1725 , in Venice , died June 4 , 1798 , in Dux , Bohemia , now Duchcov , Czech Republic ) , the book is written in French , which was the dominant language in the upper class at the time .