Italian noblewoman (8)

I believe the answer is:
contessa
<span class="explanation-format__ClueExplanation">'<span class="explanation-format__original">italian noblewoman</span>' is the definition.<br/ ><span class="explanation-format__explanation">(Italian countess)</span><br/ ><br/ >This is all the clue.<br/ ></span>
(Other definitions for contessa that I've seen before include "High-ranking female" , "noble foreign lady" , "Italian noblewoman" , "European noblewoman" , "Italian lady" .)