Venice series of books, co-written by Rustichello da Pisa and titled "Il Milione" provided important knowledge of the lands east of Europe, from the Middle East to China, Japan, and Russia. Giacomo Casanova (1725–1798) was a prolific writer and adventurer best remembered for his autobiography, "Histoire De Ma Vie" ("Story of My Life"), which links his colourful lifestyle to the city of Venice. Venetian playwrights followed the old Italian theatre tradition of "Commedia dell'arte". Ruzante (1502–1542), Carlo Goldoni (1707–1793), and Carlo Gozzi (1720–1806) used the Venetian dialect extensively in their comedies. Venice has also inspired writers from abroad. Shakespeare set "Othello"
The Merchant of Venice (2004 film) On Metacritic the film has an average score of 63/100. Most critics praised both the interpretation of the Shylock character by Michael Radford and Al Pacino and the dark, realistic look of the streets of Venice, for which production designer Bruno Rubeo was honoured by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists. In 2005, the film had a Royal Premiere in the presence of Prince Charles and received a BAFTA nomination for Best Costume Design. Its worldwide theatrical gross was about $21.3 million, with a production budget of $30 million. The Merchant of Venice (2004 film) The Merchant of Venice