Noble family probably originating from Catalonia (Girona); in 1400 he moved to France, to Avignon (some attribute the origin of the family to this city), then passed to Italy, first in Florence and then in Venice.
Known for the immense wealth at their disposal, the Labia were enrolled in the Venetian patriciate in July 1646 thanks to their contribution of 100,000 ducats offered to the coffers of the Serenissima, to cover the war expenses that Venice was incurring in the war of Candia against the Turks.
Carlo Labia, who died in 1701, was bishop of Adria and archbishop of Corfu.
Tradition has it that the Labia, to demonstrate their wealth, organized sumptuous banquets during which, at the end of the meal, they threw their best golden and silver crockery into the Grand Canal, shouting: L'abia o no l'abia, sarò sempre Labia
("Whether I have it or not, I will be always Labia", with a game on surname and "have" verb). Popular shrewdness, however, tells us that the next day the servants recovered the precious objects as, in the point where they were thrown, nets were previously positioned.
