Rosalba

Origin and meaning of Rosalba

Rosalba is a compound name of Latin origin, joining rosa, the flower par excellence, and alba, 'white' or 'dawn' — hence 'white rose' or 'rose of dawn.' Born in poetic and devotional circles, it unites two images of grace and purity. Typically Italian and rather rare, it is most present in the south. It owes much of its prestige to Rosalba Carriera, the celebrated eighteenth-century Venetian painter and master of the pastel portrait; abroad it is virtually unknown.

Famous people

• Rosalba Carriera— painter