Italiano English Español Portugûes Deutsch Français
A very ancient and illustrious family originally from Veneto, the cognominization derives from dialectal variations and from hypocoristic or augmentative modifications of the name Johannes, (Johanni, Gianni, Giani, Zani, Zan) and of the name Lorenzo and is probably a patronymic referring to a Gianlorenzo. The names of the Zanlorenzi are remembered in texts, notorious deeds and contracts for the sale of lands and houses since very ancient times in different regions of Italy with a prevalence in the Veneto region. It should be noted that some members of this House were soldiers of fortune, among which we also note a Lorenzo da Pordenone who was in the service of the Marquis of Marignano Giacomo Medici in 1530 and was still under the command of Duke Carlo Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia. In the eighteenth century a branch of the family had settled in the parish of S. Marcuola in Venice and practiced the art of the carpenter. Over the centuries, various members of this illustrious family spread to different regions of Italy and were invested with the most important offices in the city where they lived. The antiquity of the present family accompanied with the scarcity of the scriptures does not allow us to discern the principle of its nobility; and therefore the writers and researchers rightly confess with all their investigation that they cannot ascertain its origin; but not seeing us adduce any reason to make us believe this opinion, which is also considered doubtful, we could still utter ours, not opinion, but evident certainty, while it is supported by us for some evident reasons that they cannot lie. Hence, numerous characters of this surname were found in the REGION's territory, often mentioned in notarial documents since the past centuries, from which it appears that they were of noble condition.