# Zorzi Giustinian

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'''Zorzi Giustinian''' was an ambassador of the [Republic of Venice](/source/Republic_of_Venice) serving in London from 1606 to 1608 and Vienna in 1618.

==London==
Giustinian arrived in London on 5 January 1606, met by the outgoing ambassador [Nicolò Molin](/source/Nicol%C3%B2_Molin) and [Lewes Lewknor](/source/Lewes_Lewknor), the [master of ceremonies](/source/master_of_ceremonies). They had an audience with [King James](/source/James_VI_and_I) on 25 January, "escorted by almost all the Italians resident in London". [John Pory](/source/John_Pory) described the event and the ambassadors' black gowns, lined with black fox fur.<ref>John S. Brewer, ''The Court of King James the First by Godfrey Goodman'', vol. 2 (London, 1839), p. 127.</ref>

In February, he was asked to congratulate King James on his escape from the [Gunpowder Plot](/source/Gunpowder_Plot), the details of which had been explained to the Doge in Venice by the English ambassador [Henry Wotton](/source/Henry_Wotton).<ref>Horatio Brown, ''Calendar State Papers, Venice: 1603-1607'', vol. 10 (London, 1900), pp. 310 no. 465, 314 no. 475, 318 no. 479.</ref> [Anne of Denmark](/source/Anne_of_Denmark) showed an eager interest in the struggles between the [Venetian Republic](/source/Republic_of_Venice) and the Papacy, but Giustinian was reluctant to discuss the issues.<ref>Horatio Brown, ''Calendar State Papers, Venice: 1603-1607'', vol. 10 (London, 1900), p. 319 no. 482.</ref>

Giustinian was apprehensive of new legal measures in the aftermath of the plot, which seemed to be "great preparations for the annihilation of the Catholic religion".<ref>Horatio Brown, ''Calendar State Papers, Venice: 1603-1607'', vol. 10 (London, 1900), p. 321 no. 486.</ref> In March King James went over the details of the plot with him at length, especially emphasising the role of divine providence in his miraculous preservation.<ref>Horatio Brown, ''Calendar State Papers, Venice: 1603-1607'', vol. 10 (London, 1900), p. 327 no. 498.</ref>

[Anthony Standen](/source/Anthony_Standen_(spy)), lately a prisoner in the [Tower of London](/source/Tower_of_London), arrived in Rome in March 1606, and said that Anne of Denmark enjoyed listening to Nicolò Molin and Giustinian speaking Italian.<ref>Horatio Brown, ''Calendar State Papers, Venice: 1603-1607'', vol. 10 (London, 1900), p. 325 no. 491.</ref> In April Giustinian reported the wild rumour that King James had been assassinated at [Woking Palace](/source/Woking_Palace). A few days later, Lewes Lewknor brought an invitation to watch a tournament. Giustinian was anxious about precedence on these occasions,  worried that other ambassadors might be seen publicly to enjoy more favour than him. Lewknor reassured him that each ambassador would have a window in the gallery overlooking the tiltyard. Giustinian argued that the right-hand window would be more prestigious. Lewknor found this intractable and begged him to make excuses and not turn up.<ref>Horatio Brown, ''Calendar State Papers, Venice: 1603-1607'', vol. 10 (London, 1900), pp. 331 no. 502, 333 no. 503.</ref>

He visited [Princess Elizabeth](/source/Elizabeth_Stuart%2C_Queen_of_Bohemia) at [Greenwich Palace](/source/Greenwich_Palace) on 5 August 1606.<ref>Horatio Brown, ''Calendar State Papers, Venice: 1603-1607'', vol. 10 (London, 1900), p. 385 no. 561.</ref> [Christian IV of Denmark](/source/Christian_IV_of_Denmark) came to London in August, but despite the hunting, fêtes, tournaments and other daily entertainments, Giustinian reported that the Danish king and his followers appeared bored.<ref>Horatio Brown, ''Calendar State Papers, Venice: 1603-1607'', vol. 10 (London, 1900), p. 391 no. 564.</ref> He went to [Theobalds](/source/Theobalds_House) to seek an audience, where his secretary found King James taking a prolonged dinner according the German custom, and the [Earl of Salisbury](/source/Sir_Robert_Cecil) pointed at the table and said that two days were dedicated to feasting and the Danes must not be interrupted.<ref>Horatio Brown, ''Calendar State Papers, Venice: 1603-1607'', vol. 10 (London, 1900), p. 386 no. 561.</ref>

Giustinian corresponded with the [Chancellor of Scotland](/source/Lord_Chancellor_of_Scotland), [Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline](/source/Alexander_Seton%2C_1st_Earl_of_Dunfermline) and sent him pamphlets written in defence of the Venetian Republic. Seton, despite his education in Rome with [Bellarmine](/source/Robert_Bellarmine), wrote to him approving the Venetian cause.<ref>Horatio Brown, ''Calendar State Papers, Venice: 1603-1607'', vol. 10 (London, 1900), pp. 416 no. 599, 453 no. 659.</ref> He heard that the Scots wrote to King James to protest against a [union](/source/Union_of_the_Crowns).<ref>Horatio Brown, ''Calendar State Papers, Venice: 1603-1607'', vol. 10 (London, 1900), p. 488 no. 718.</ref> In May 1607 Giustanini successfully requested the suppression and burning of a pamphlet printed by Francis Burton, ''News from Venice'', which misrepresented religious practice in Venice.<ref>Horatio Brown, ''Calendar State Papers, Venice: 1603-1607'', vol. 10 (London, 1900), p. 495-7 nos. 730-1.</ref> In July [Prince Henry](/source/Henry_Frederick%2C_Prince_of_Wales) showed him around [Nonsuch Palace](/source/Nonsuch_Palace) and promised to show him his amusements and exercises on his next visit.<ref>Horatio Brown, ''Calendar State Papers, Venice: 1617-1619'', vol. 11 (London, 1904), p. 11 no. 24.</ref>

Giustinian was impressed with ''[The Masque of Beauty](/source/The_Masque_of_Beauty)'' and attributed its success to Anne of Denmark as "authoress of the whole" rather than [Ben Jonson](/source/Ben_Jonson).<ref>Martin Butler, ''The Stuart Court Masque and Political Culture'' (Cambridge, 2008), p. 130: Leeds Barroll, ''Anna of Denmark, A Cultural Biography'' (Philadelphia, 2001), p. 109.</ref><ref>[Jemma Field](/source/Jemma_Field), "Anna of Denmark: Daughter, Wife, Sister, and Mother of Kings", Aidan Norrie, Carolyn Harris, [J. L. Laynesmith](/source/J._L._Laynesmith), Danna R. Messer, Elena Woodacre, ''Tudor and Stuart Consorts'' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022), p. 227: Horatio Brown, ''Calendar State Papers, Venice: 1617-1619'', vol. 11 (London, 1904), p. 86 no. 154.</ref> In June 1608 Giustinian saw the [Earl of Montgomery](/source/Philip_Herbert%2C_4th_Earl_of_Pembroke) and [George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar](/source/George_Home%2C_1st_Earl_of_Dunbar) go in procession from London to [Windsor Castle](/source/Windsor_Castle) for their investiture. The royal family watched the procession from [Cecil House](/source/Cecil_House) on the [Strand](/source/Strand%2C_London). Giustinian noted that English courtiers were jealous of honours awarded to Scots.<ref>Horatio Brown, ''Calendar State Papers, Venice: 1607-1610'', vol. 11 (London, 1904), p. 137 no. 261.</ref>

During hearings in Venice about the possible misconduct of another ambassador [Antonio Foscarini](/source/Antonio_Foscarini), it was noted that Giustianian had attended a performance of ''[Pericles](/source/Pericles%2C_Prince_of_Tyre)'', accompanied by the French ambassador [Antoine Lefèvre de la Boderie](/source/Antoine_Lef%C3%A8vre_de_la_Boderie) and his wife, and Octavian Lotti, the secretary of the Florentine ambassador.<ref>[MacDonald P. Jackson](/source/MacDonald_P._Jackson), ''Defining Shakespeare: Pericles as Test Case'' (Oxford, 2003), p. 37.</ref> He spent the equivalent of 20 [scudi](/source/Italian_scudo) on this entertainment.<ref>See external links.</ref>

His successor as ambassador in London, [Marc' Antonio Correr](/source/Marc'_Antonio_Correr), was chosen in August 1608.<ref>Horatio Brown, ''Calendar State Papers, Venice: 1607-1610'', vol. 11 (London, 1904), p. 158 no. 305.</ref>

He was ambassador in Vienna in 1618.<ref>G. Dyfnallt Owen & Sonia P. Anderson, ''HMC 77 Downshire'', vol. 6 (London, 1995), p. 509 no. 1100.</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://shakespearedocumented.folger.edu/resource/document/venetian-ambassador-sees-performance-pericles Carlo M. Bajetta, 'A Venetian ambassador sees a performance of Pericles' Shakespeare Documented]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Giustinian, Zorzi}}
Category:Court of James VI and I
Category:Ambassadors of the Republic of Venice to the Kingdom of England

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Zorzi Giustinian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zorzi_Giustinian) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zorzi_Giustinian?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.