In 1797, word arrived that the Republic of Venice had ceased to exist and that Napoleon Bonaparte had seized Casanova's home city. It was too late to return home. Casanova died on June 4, 1798, at age 73. His last words are said to have been "I have lived as a philosopher and I die as a Christian".[80] Casanova was buried at Dux (Duchcov), but the exact place of his grave was forgotten over the years and remains unknown today.