Niccolò Giustiniani

Date of birth unknown, became monk in the Benedictine monastery of San Niccoló del Lido at Venice in 1153. When, in a military expedition of the Venetians in 1172, all the other members of the family of the Justiniani perished in the Ægean Sea near the Island of Chios, the Republic of Venice mourned over this disaster to so noble a family as over a public calamity. In order that the entire family might not die out, the Venetian Government sent Baron Morosin and Toma Falier as delegates to Alexander III, with the request to dispense Nicholas from his monastic vows. The dispensation was granted, and Nicholas married Anna, the daughter of Doge Michieli, becoming through her the parent of five new lines of his family. Shortly after 1179 he returned to the monastery of San Niccoló del Lido, having previously founded a convent for women on the Island of Aniano, where his wife took the veil. Both he and his wife died in the odour of sanctity, and were venerated by the people, though neither was ever formally beatified.

- http://www.giustiniani.info/venezia.html

L’unico superstite della famiglia rimase tal Nicolò - monaco benedettino nel Convento di San Nicolò del Lido - che, a seguito di pressioni del doge Vitale Michiel presso Papa Alessandro III, ottenne la dispensa dai voti religiosi, permettendogli così di sposare la figlia del Doge - Anna - che gli diede numerosa prole (nove maschi e tre femmine) dando nuova e rinnovata linfa alla stirpe dei Giustinian e gli portò in dote ben tre contrade di Venezia (San Moisè, San Giovanni in Bragora e San Pantalon). Fatto il proprio dovere, Nicolò Giustinian ritornò in convento, e Anna Michiel si fece monaca benedettina.

- http://www.giustiniani.info/giustinian.pdf [tavola senza tabulazioni]