Giani de Soldanier or Giovanni de Soldanieri was an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

politician, born in Florence to a

Ghibelline The Guelphs and Ghibellines ( , ; ) were factions supporting the Pope (Guelphs) and the Holy Roman Emperor (Ghibellines) in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy during the Middle Ages. During the 12th and 13th centu ...

family. He is best known for being found in the 9th circle of hell (canto 32), reserved for those who sin by treachery, by

Dante Dante Alighieri (; most likely baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri; – September 14, 1321), widely known mononymously as Dante, was an Italian Italian poetry, poet, writer, and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called ...

in his epic ''Inferno''.

*Gianni de' Soldanier credo che sia ''I think Gianni de' Soldanier is farther on,'' *più là con Ganellone e Tebaldello, ''with Ganelon and Tebaldello,'' *ch'aprì Faenza quando si dormia. ''who opened up Faenza while it slept.''

Historians hold that while serving as potesta or lord of

Faenza Faenza (, ; ; or ; ) is an Italian city and comune of 59,063 inhabitants in the province of Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, situated southeast of Bologna. Faenza is home to a historical manufacture of majolica-ware glazed earthenware pottery, known ...

, with the help of Tribadello di Zambrasi, he betrayed the town to the Guelfs of

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

.Dizionario biografico universale
Volume 5, by Felice Scifoni, Publisher Davide Passagli, Florence (1849); page 122.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Soldanier Gi Politicians from Florence Characters in the Divine Comedy 13th-century births 13th-century deaths 13th-century people from the Republic of Florence