The Giustiniani or Giustiniani were a noble Venetian family, ascribed to the patriciate among the so-called evangelical families. They gave a doge to the Serenissima. The medieval chroniclers would trace this family from the emperor Justin II, nephew and successor of the famous Justinian I. One of his descendants, Justinian, in the seventh century would move from Constantinople to Istria, where he founded Justustin (Koper), then to Malamocco and finally in Venice.
Nicolò Giustinian, a monk at San Nicolò del Lido, was the protagonist of a particular event. In 1171 all the male individuals of the family had died during the war against the Byzantine emperor Manuel I Comneno. This led Pope Alexander III to dispense him from the vow of chastity, thus allowing him to marry the daughter of Doge Vitale II Michiel, Anna, in order to avoid the extinction of the family. The couple had children, but later Nicolò returned to the monastery, while Anna took the vows and entered the convent of Sant'Ariano di Costanziaco, which she herself founded.
The Giustinian Lolin were a branch of this family living in San Barnaba. Giovanni Giustinian Lolin was the progenitor: born of Franceschina Lolin and Francesco Giustinian, he kept both surnames.
The Giustinian Recanati were another branch of the family: they appeared in the XVIII century following the marriage (celebrated in 1712) between Laura Recanati Zucconi and Giacomo di Marcantonio Giustinian. The noblewoman Laura, in fact, found herself the sole heir of her family, the Recanati Zucconi, at the death of her brother Antonio, Capuchin friar. Their descendants then assumed the surname of "Giustinian Recanati".
All branches of the Giustiniani family of Venice are extinct. The surname and the coat of arms were assumed by the baron Gerolamo de Massa and his sons Sebastiano, Andrea, Nicolò, Pio, Giorgio and Lorenzo and their descendants by testamentary disposition of the mother Elisabetta Giustiniani (daughter of Giulio Giustiniani branch of San Barnaba, and sister Maria Giustiniani married Vettor Giusti del Giardino and Sebastiano Giustiniani, both without descent).