I Giustiniani di Chio nello Stato da Mar (secc. XVII-XVIII)

The history of the Giustiniani, lords of Chios (or, better, the history of their albergo, the association of families that formed and controlled the Maona of Chios), deserves analysis on several levels, starting from the system of family relations and networking among its members. The surname after which the albergo took its name conjures up an intricate mosaic of cultures and identities, owing to the high rate of intermarriage with native families from the Greek peninsula and some of the dominions within the Stato da mar. One notable instance is that of the Giustiniani di Pantaleo, who arrived in Methoni (It.: Modone) after it was obtained by the Venetians with the treaty of Karlowitz (1699). Of greater interest still is the family network of the Giustiniani di Alessandro, whose interests ranged beyond trade and finance. Gio. Costantino, for instance, took residence in Cattaro, in Montenegro and in 1742 married the daughter of count Michele Racovich, Vincenza. He later held several public appointments in Venetian Dalmatia and was made chancellor of Curzola; he then resided in Venice for many years and in 1769 was admitted to the ranks of the Genoese nobility. Alessandro Ippolito, his son, was standard-bear- er (alfiere) of the Venetian infantry before taking permanent residence in Genoa (1770). The picture that emerges from the survey of these family histories is a complex intermixture of cultures and identities, furthering our understanding of the history of the Mediterranean and of its élites.