A famous scientific-instrument maker from the Veneto, Selva had an optical workshop in Venice near San Marco. His skill as maker of lenses, telescopes, and microscopes is amply documented in a book by his son Lorenzo, an optician himself: Esposizione delle comuni, e nuove spezie di Cannocchiali, Telescopj, Microscopj, ed altri Istrumenti Diottrici, Catottrici, e Catodiottrici Perfezionati ed inventati da Domenico Selva ottico [...] (Venice, 1761), dedicated to Francesco Algarotti (1712-1764).