Part 4/11:
By the time he returned to Venice after receiving a classical education from the University of Padua, Casanova had reinvented himself as a man of remarkable talent. Initially, he pursued a career in the clergy—an endeavor that offered the only route to social elevation for someone of his background. He quickly garnered admiration through his sermons, captivating his audience and earning the affection of women, culminating in his first love, Bettina. Her rejection only deepened his longing for romance and validated his later pursuits as a seducer and lover.