Giovanna Bassi

Giovanna Bassi (1762–1834) was an Italian ballerina who spent the majority of her career in Sweden. She was regarded as the prima donna of the Swedish Ballet during the Gustavian age.

Giovanna Bassi was born in Italy as the daughter of the Italian ballet dancer Angela Bassi. She was the sister of the architect Charles (Carlo) Bassi (1772–1840), who lived active in Sweden and Finland, where he had been raised since the age of eleven. She was the student of Jean Dauberval and debuted on the stage of the opera in Paris in France.

In 1783, she was employed at the Royal Swedish Ballet in the Royal Swedish Opera in Sweden, where she was to spend the rest of her career.

Bassi is mentioned in the famous diary of Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp. Her technique was entirely according to the classic Italian style of ballet, and she was capable of performing the hardest movements within this style. At her debut in , the applause was loud enough "to outdo the thunder", and caused what was to be referred to as the "Bassi fever".

Bassi was described as a proud person with a "noble" manner and admired for her beautiful, black hair and her strong, limber body. Among her parts were Cecile in La Rosiere de Salency by Jean Marcadet with Antoine Bournonville, Judith Christina Brelin and Jean Marcadet, Ninette a la Tour by M. Gardel in the 1786-87 season, and Nadine in Le Triomphe de la Constance by Jean Marcadet with Giuseppe Bartolomei, Antoine Bournonville, Jean Marcadet and Carlo Caspare Simone Uttini (1787–88). She also gave dancing classes for girls from the upper classes, and occasionally performed as an actor at the French Theatre. Giovanna Bassi became very wealthy: initially with a salary of 9.000 livres, she had a fortune of 30.000 riksdaler at her retirement.

Bassi had a daughter, Johanna Fredrika (1787–1810), presumed to be fathered by Count Adolf Fredrik Munck af Fulkila, with whom she had a relationship at the time. By persistent rumors, the count was said to be the true father of Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden, and Bassi's daughter was said to have a strong resemblance to the King, who might have been her half-brother. Bassi's daughter was further said to be the role-model for the character Tintomara in the famous novel Drottningens juvelsmycke by Carl Jonas Love Almquist. In that novel, Tintomara is portrayed as the half sibling of King Gustav IV Adolf and the issue of Count Adolf Fredrik Munck af Fulkila.

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