[4] The opera tells the story of Giustino's rise from the position of a simple poor farmer to being crowned the Byzantine emperor.

[5] For several decades following its 1683 premiere at the Teatro San Salvador, Il Giustino was one of the most widely performed Venetian operas.

According to musicologist Reinhard Strohm, its music was still being discussed as late as 1720 in Benedetto Marcello's pamphlet Il teatro alla moda.

[5] Soprano Elisabeth Kulman led the cast in the title role of Giustino, with Georg Nigl as Ariannas, Cornelia Ptassek as Arianna, Terry Wey as Andronico/Flavia, Delphine Galou as Eufemia, Peter Kennel as Vitaliano, and Hermann Oswald as Amantio.

[7][8] In May 2023, Giustino had its Australian premiere at City Recital Hall, Sydney, in a production by Pinchgut Opera with the Orchestra of the Antipodes conducted by Erin Helyard.