Giustiniana Wynne

Giustiniana Wynne (later Countess Rosenberg-Orsini; Venice, 21 January 1737 – Padua, 22 August 1791) was an Anglo-Venetian author. She is best known for her association with Casanova as well as her secret love affair with Andrea Memmo, one of the last statesmen of the Venetian Republic.

Reputedly a beauty of her day, Giustiniana Wynne was conceived out of wedlock but was legitimized by the marriage of her parents, Greek-born Venetian Anna Gazini and Englishman Sir Richard Wynne. She was the eldest of the couple's five children, and was raised solely by her mother after Sir Richard's death.

At the age of sixteen, Giustiniana met Andrea Memmo, the 24-year-old son of one of Venice's ruling families. The two fell in love and began a clandestine affair which lasted nearly seven years. Due to the difference in their social classes, marriage was not a consideration for them. Also, upon the discovery of Memmo's attentions to her daughter, Anna forbade them to see each other. This was to protect Giustiniana's virtue and reputation so as not to deter future suitors. These two factors led to the writing and exchange of hundreds of surreptitious letters between Giustiniana and Memmo, some written in a secret code devised by Memmo himself.

After four years of secret meetings, stolen moments and public hand signals, Memmo finally urged his family to petition the Venetian authorities for permission to marry Giustiniana. As the process dragged on, the lovers grew hopeful that they would indeed be united; but just as the request was about to be approved, evidence surfaced about the dishonorable past of Giustiniana’s mother, Anna. The ensuing scandal left the Wynnes no choice but to leave Venice. Anna and her five children then made their way to Paris with the hope of continuing to London where they thought to start a new life in Sir Richard’s native land.

Following Memmo’s advice to her, Giustiniana worked to become acquainted with Paris’ tax collection general, the wealthy but elderly widower Alexandre Jean Joseph Le Riche de La Pouplinière. She used her charms to attract his attentions, believing that a marriage to an elderly gentleman would help facilitate a future for her affair with Memmo. Just as the lovers had hoped, La Pouplinière did ask her to become his wife.

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