Vincenzo Giustiniani

Vincenzo Giustiniani
Born	Chios (then Genoese territory)
Died	December 27, 1637(1637-12-27) (aged 73) Rome, Papal States
Occupation(s)	Nobleman, financier, art connoisseur, thinker, art collector, patron
Known for	Giustiniani art collection, patronage of Caravaggio

Vincenzo Giustiniani (13 September 1564 – 27 December 1637) was a distinguished Italian nobleman, financier, art connoisseur, and thinker active during the late 1500s and early 1600s. He is primarily recognized for the Giustiniani art collection, curated at the Palazzo Giustiniani near Rome’s Pantheon and at the family estate in Bassano. This collection was developed in collaboration with his brother, Cardinal Benedetto. Vincenzo also played a significant role as a patron to the painter Caravaggio.

Biography

Giuseppe Giustiniani, Vincenzo’s father, served as the final Genoese governor of the Aegean island of Chios, a territory lost to Ottoman forces in 1566. Following the invasion and devastation of the island, several family members were either killed or taken prisoner. Vincenzo and his older brother Benedetto were relocated to Rome, where their uncle held a cardinalate. Giuseppe established himself as a leading banker and financier to the Vatican, becoming one of Rome’s wealthiest individuals by the time of his death in 1600.

Vincenzo pursued a career in the family banking enterprise, while Benedetto entered ecclesiastical service and was elevated to cardinal in 1586. Both siblings emerged as prominent supporters of the arts; their collection expanded to exceed 300 paintings—including 15 by Caravaggio—and over 1,200 sculptures by Benedetto’s passing in 1621. The Galleria Giustiniani, published in 1631 under Joachim von Sandrart's direction, presented engravings of notable pieces such as the Athena Giustiniani and Giustiniani Hestia.

In addition to his financial and collecting activities, Vincenzo authored treatises on diverse subjects including architecture, music, art theory, hunting, travel, and equine trade. As a neighbor and associate of Cardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte, Caravaggio’s initial patron, Vincenzo directly supported Caravaggio by acquiring works like Saint Matthew and the Angel, even amidst ecclesiastical disapproval.

Vincenzo Giustiniani passed away in Rome in 1637.

Legacy

During the early 19th century, the collection was fragmented when over 160 paintings were purchased by the King of Prussia, many of which were allocated to Berlin’s museums. Presently, the Berlin Gemäldegalerie houses 43 artworks from the Giustiniani holdings, with additional pieces exhibited at Potsdam's Neues Palais and Bildergalerie Sanssouci. Other works are part of collections at London’s National Gallery, St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum, and Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum. Numerous artworks have also been identified within museums across Europe and North America.