] V A N I S H M a g a z i n e of-hand tricks . Horatio Galasso ( 1594 ) in Venice published Giuochi di Carte Bellissimi di Regola et Memoria , containing the first description of what is mistakenly called the “ Si Stebbins ” stack , which was wrongly attributed to William Coffrin after he re-published it in 1898 .
In the 1700s , the figure of Giuseppe Pinetti , born in Orbetello in 1750 , stands out . With a superstar attitude , he performed in sumptuous noble attire and promoted his shows with great mastery . His repertoire included automata , scientific experiments , and numbers that became classics , such as the card attached to the ceiling with a gunshot . His fame was amplified by the books of the French jurist Henri Decremps , who , in 1783 , published La Magie Blanche Dévoilée , revealing its secrets .
Another emblematic figure of 18th-century Italy is Giuseppe Balsamo , known as Count Cagliostro . Born in Palermo in 1743 , he built an aura of magician and alchemist to conquer the European courts . Though admired by many , he was also criticized by contemporaries like Casanova , who described him as a " lazy and wandering genius ." In
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