Alicia Giustiniani was the
Dogaressa
Dogaressa ( , , ) was the official title of the wife of the Doge of Venice. The title was unique for Venice: while the heads of the Republic of Genoa were also called Doge, the wives of the Doges of Genoa were not called ''Dogaressa'', nor did ...
of
Venice
Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
by marriage to the Doge
Francesco Donato (r. 1545–1553).
As dogaressa, she, as well as her predecessor Maria Pasqualigo, did what she could to support arts and crafts in Venice. One of her acts was redecorating the apartments of
Doge's Palace
The Doge's Palace (''Doge'' pronounced ; ; ) is a palace built in Venetian Gothic architecture, Venetian Gothic style, and one of the main landmarks of the city of Venice in northern Italy. The palace included government offices, a jail, and th ...
.
Giustiniani was foremost known for her work for the
Venetian glass industry of Murano, which suffered from problems and discontent among the workers between 1547 and 1549. Giustiniani was the formal protector of the glass guild. She received their complaints and worked to address them.
[Staley, Edgcumbe: ]
The dogaressas of Venice : The wives of the doges
', London : T. W. Laurie. p. 250-251
In 1550, she used her influence to reintroduce several reforms of the glass industry regulations.
Among other things, she restored the permission to travel abroad to glassmakers.
References
* Staley, Edgcumbe:
The dogaressas of Venice : The wives of the doges', London : T. W. Laurie, 1910. p. 250-251
Dogaressas of Venice
Year of birth missing
Year of death missing
16th-century Venetian women
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