Vrana Konti
| Vrana | |
|---|---|
| Count of Krujë and Mat | |
Titles and styles
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| Died | 1458 |
| Spouse(s) | Maria Zardari (possibly) |
| Occupation | Napolitan count, military commander, counselor of Skanderbeg |
Count Vrana (fl. 1450–1458†) was a Napolitan nobleman, who received the title of conte (count) by King Alfonso the Magnanimous and later became one of the closest allies of George Kastrioti "Skanderbeg" in Albania. He was Skanderbeg's counselor and one of his best generals.
Vrana participated in all of Skanderbeg's major battles until 1458. He is known mainly for his resistance as the commander of the Albanian garrison during the First Siege of Krujë. He was offered a great deal of money and a high-ranking post in the Ottoman administration by Sultan Murad II conditional on his surrender, but he refused.
The real identity of Vrana has yet not been determined.
There are no reliable information regarding his surname.
Vrana served King Alfonso the Magnanimous, from whom he received the title of count. He entered the service of Skanderbeg in 1450. Vrana has been described as a man of great authority and experience, and noted for his intelligence and judgement. He became one of the best friends of Skanderbeg. He was an associate of Vlladan Grivici, and Vladan Jurica.
Skanderbeg had given Vrana the governorship of Krujë prior to the Siege.
In June 1450, two years after the Ottomans had captured Svetigrad, they laid siege to Krujë with an army numbering approximately 100,000 men and led again by Sultan Murad II himself and his son, Mehmed. Following a scorched earth strategy (thus denying the Ottomans the use of necessary local resources), Skanderbeg left a protective garrison of 1,500 to 4,000 under Vrana, while, with the remainder of the army, which included many Slavs, Germans, Frenchmen and Italians, he harassed the Ottoman camps around Krujë by continuously attacking Sultan Murad II's supply caravans. The garrison repelled three major direct assaults on the city walls by the Ottomans, causing great losses to the besieging forces. Ottoman attempts at finding and cutting the water sources failed, as did a sapped tunnel, which collapsed suddenly. An offer of 300,000 aspra (Turkish silver coins) and a promise of a high rank as an officer in the Ottoman army made to Vrana Konti, were both rejected by him. Vrana addressed the army with encouraging speeches in order to raise morale, in Albanian and Italian, and through interpreters.
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