Zanetta Farussi, born on 27th August 1707 in Venice, was a celebrated comedy actress in 18th-century Italy and the mother of the infamous adventurer and womaniser, Giacomo Casanova.
At just 17, Zanetta married Gaetano Casanova, an actor ten years her senior. Gaetano had recently returned to Venice after performing with a touring theatre troupe and had secured a position at the prestigious Teatro San Samuele.
Despite her parents’ opposition to the marriage, largely due to the stigma surrounding the acting profession, Zanetta soon followed in her husband’s footsteps and began her career on the same stage. The following year, she gave birth to her first son, Giacomo, who would later bring infamy to the Casanova name as a legendary seducer.
Giacomo Casanova would later assert that his real father was Michele Grimani, the owner of the Teatro San Samuele.
Zanetta’s acting career was not confined to Venice. After accepting a theatrical engagement in London, she gave birth to her second son, Francesco, who would grow up to become a renowned painter. The family returned to Venice in 1728 and Zanetta gave birth to four more children. Tragically, her youngest was born just two months after Gaetano’s death, leaving Zanetta to raise her large family alone.
During this period, Zanetta Farussi met the famous playwright Carlo Goldoni in Verona. Captivated by her charm and talent, Goldoni wrote a short comedy for her titled La Pupilla (The Female Ward). The play was inspired by the intense jealousy she had provoked in a prominent actor and impresario of the time. It was performed as an interlude during Goldoni’s tragicomedy Belisario.
International career
In 1737, Zanetta signed a contract to perform in Italian comedies in Saxony, marking the beginning of her international career. The following year, she made her debut in Pilnitz, near Dresden, during the proxy wedding of Crown Princess Maria Amalia. Her career also took her to Warsaw, where she performed two short theatrical pieces she had written herself.
However, the outbreak of the Seven Years’ War forced the suspension of the Italian comedy troupe’s activities at the Saxon court. The actors, including Zanetta, retired and were granted an annual pension.
During the war, she sought refuge in Prague, but once it was safe, she returned to Dresden, where she remained for the rest of her life. She was joined by her son Giovanni, who taught at the Academy of Fine Arts, and her daughter Maria Maddalena, who married the court organist Peter August.
Legacy
Zanetta Farussi, also known by her stage name La Buranella, a nod to her family’s roots on the island of Burano, passed away in Dresden in 1776.
Her legacy endures not only through her children, including the notorious Giacomo Casanova but also as a testament to the resilience and talent of women in the theatre during the 18th century.
