Giovanni Soranzo (Latin: Iohannes Superantio born Burano, 1240 - died Venice, 31 December 1328) was a Venetian statesman of the prominent Soranzo family who served as the 51st Doge of Venice. He ascended to the position on 13 July 1312 and served until his death. Soranzo was a member of a noble family; he was married to Franchesina.[1] In 1310 his son-in-law, Niccolo' Querini was exiled for life from Venice for taking part in Bajamonte Tiepolo's conspiracy to overthrow the state. Soranzo was succeeded as Doge by Francesco Dandolo. He was also an Italianpolitician, diplomat and admiral.
Son of Antonio Soranzo, who was procurator of San Marco, he was born around 1245, probably in the parish of Шаблон:Ill where his family's residence was located. The year of his birth can be deduced from the chronicle of Gian Giacomo Caroldo, according to which at the time of his appointment as doge he was 67 years old. There is no basis for what is reported by genealogists of the modern era, according to which he was born in Burano in 1240
From his will, drawn up on 8 August 1321, we know that he had married Francesca Molin. From her (or from a previous wife of whom we have no information) he had three sons and three daughters: Marino (married to a certain Caterina), Nicolò (before he died), Antonio known as "Belello", Soranzo (married to Nicolò Querini), Elena (Benedictine in San Giovanni di Torcello) and Fontana (Franciscan in Santa Maria Maggiore).
Political & Military career
His political career has been reconstructed thanks to contemporary documents and historiographical sources. However, the existence of some namesake with whom he may have been confused cannot be ruled out.
Elected several times to the Great Council (1264, 1266 - 68, 1270, 1275, 1281, 1295), he was also mayor of Poreč and during this mandate, he suffered excommunication by the local bishop Boniface, who had pro- Aquileian tendencies. He then sat in the Minor Council and in 1290, after the election of Doge Pietro Gradenigo, he became ducal councillor. He was also mayor in Chioggia ( 1294 ), in Isola d'Istria (end of the century), and in Pula ( 1299 ). In 1300 he participated in a diplomatic mission with Andrea Sanudo to Frederick III of Sicily. He was then count of Zadar in 1301 - 03, ambassador to Egypt and again count of Zadar in 1305 - 07.
