After celebrating the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo’s death with a dedicated edition last year, the 2025 Venice Carnival pays tribute to another illustrious citizen, whose fame has captivated the world for centuries: Giacomo Casanova, marking 300 years since his birth.
Dedicated to him, Giacomo – A Love Story is the sensational water show —now a Carnival tradition— that transforms the Darsena Grande at the Arsenale into an immersive stage, where water becomes the thread weaving a sensory journey through the legendary Venetian’s life. More than just a biographical narration, it is a visual and auditory experience guided by the voice of Henriette, the only woman Casanova is said to have truly loved but never possessed…
The show unfolds in seven chapters, blending reality and imagination in an evocative dimension. The operatic voices of Silvia Celadin and Alberto Zanetti, along with the intense performance of Silvia Nanni, lead the audience in a continuous dialogue between history and poetry, between classical and contemporary influences.
The set design, crafted by Antica Proietteria, Viorica Water Show, and Moonlight Light Show, transforms the Darsena’s water surface into a dreamlike realm, where dancing fountains, lights, and video projections create a breathtaking scenic architecture. Fourteen performers and six dancers bring the characters to life through dance and acrobatics, merging movement, music, and storytelling.
A key element is the fusion of tradition and innovation: the historic Venetian boats of Cavana Tintoretto, captained by Gloria Rogliani, guide the audience on a symbolic journey, while the French company Ilotopie introduces spectacular stage machines that turn water into an unprecedented theatrical language.
Inspired by Sette Canzoni per Casanova by Antonella Barina, this new water show offers an intimate and multifaceted portrait of the brilliant Venetian libertine. An experience of magic, history, and pure emotion, unveiling the myth of Casanova beyond the ‘mask,’ in a completely new light.
