Zanetta Farussi facts for kids
Zanetta Farussi, also known as "La Buranella", was a talented Italian actress. She was born in Venice on August 27, 1707, and passed away in Dresden on November 29, 1776. Her oldest son grew up to be the famous adventurer, Giacomo Casanova.
Zanetta Farussi's Life Story
Zanetta was born Maria Giovanna Farussi. Her father, Girolamo, worked as a shoemaker. In 1724, when she was seventeen, Zanetta married Gaetano Casanova. He was an actor who had just returned to Venice. Gaetano was ten years older than Zanetta. He had joined the Teatro San Samuele, a theater in Venice.
Zanetta's parents did not approve of her marriage. They thought acting was not a respectable job. Her father, Girolamo, died soon after. Her mother, Marcia, only accepted the marriage when Gaetano promised Zanetta would not become an actress.
However, this promise was soon broken. Zanetta began training at Gaetano's theater. Their first son, Giacomo, was born around this time. The next year, they went to London for acting jobs. Their second son, Francesco, was born there. Francesco later became a well-known painter.
They returned to Venice in 1728. Zanetta and Gaetano had four more children. These included Giovanni, who also became a painter. Their other children were Faustina Maddalena, Maria Maddalena, and Gaetano Alvise. Gaetano Alvise became a priest. Their father, Gaetano, died when Gaetano Alvise was just two months old. After Gaetano's death, the Grimani family helped Zanetta and her children.
Her Acting Career
In 1734, Zanetta met a famous writer named Carlo Goldoni in Verona. He wrote a short play for her called La Pupilla. This play was inspired by the attention she received from Giuseppe Imer. He was a famous actor and a major theater manager. The play was shown during his larger play, Belisario.
The next year, Zanetta took an acting job in Saint Petersburg, Russia. However, this job was not very successful. Not many people in Russia knew Italian at that time.
In 1737, Zanetta signed a long contract. She agreed to perform in Italian comedies for the Electorate of Saxony. She first performed in Pilnitz in 1738. This was for the wedding celebration of Crown Princess Maria Amalia. In 1748, she visited Warsaw. There, she performed two short plays that she had written herself.
In 1756, the Seven Years' War began. The Saxon Court stopped the activities of her Italian comedy group. Everyone in the group retired. They each received a yearly payment of 400 Thalers.
During the war, Zanetta found safety in Prague. As soon as it was safe, she returned to Dresden. She lived there for the rest of her life. Later, her son Giovanni joined her. He taught at the Academy of Fine Arts. Her daughter, Maria Maddalena, also joined her. Maria Maddalena married the Court Organist, Peter August.
