Giovanni

Giovanni is the Italian form of John, from the Hebrew Yochanan, meaning God is gracious, which reached Italy through the Latin Iohannes. Saint John the Baptist, San Giovanni Battista in Italian, is the patron saint of Florence, Genoa and Turin, and the apostle John is also widely venerated. Giovanni Boccaccio, the Florentine writer, composed The Decameron, a collection of tales told by young people escaping the plague. Other bearers include the painter Giovanni Bellini and the composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni retells the story of Don Juan. Shortened forms include Gianni and Nino.