Costanzo Ciano

Count of Cortellazzo Costanzo Ciano
President of Chamber of Fasces and Corporations
In office 23 March 1939 – 26 June 1939
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Dino Grandi
President of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 28 April 1934 – 2 March 1939
Preceded by	Giovanni Giuriati
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Minister of Post and Telegraphs
In office 5 February 1924 – 28 April 1934
Prime Minister	Benito Mussolini
Preceded by	Giovanni Antonio Colonna di Cesarò
Succeeded by	Umberto Puppini
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 11 June 1921 – 2 March 1939
Constituency	Tuscany
Personal details
Born	(1876-08-30)30 August 1876 Livorno, Italy
Died	26 June 1939(1939-06-26) (aged 62) Lucca, Italy
Party	National Fascist Party
Children	Galeazzo Ciano
Profession	Naval commander

Costanzo Ciano, 1st Count of Cortellazzo (Italian: [kosˈtantso ˈtʃaːno]; 30 August 1876 – 26 June 1939) was an Italian naval officer and politician. He was the father of the former Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Galeazzo Ciano.

Biography

Early life

Born in Livorno, he was the son of Raimondo Ciano and his wife, Argia Puppo. He entered the Livorno Naval Academy in 1891, and was commissioned an officer five years later. In 1901, he became Ship-of-the-Line Lieutenant (tenente di vascello) and took part in the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–1912.

First World War

In 1915, before the entrance of Italy to the First World War, he was a capitano di corvetta (lieutenant commander) and was assigned to serve in Cirenaica.

After his return to Italy, he operated at the command of fast MAS units and received a gold medal for military value for a famous action in Bakar Harbour (10–11 February 1918) in the Croatian Littoral, which was later celebrated by the poet Gabriele D'Annunzio, who had also participated.

Ciano was promoted to the rank of capitano di vascello (captain) at the end of the war.

Postwar fascist

Ciano's ardent nationalism drew him into fascism. He became the leader of the Livorno fascio and participated in the March on Rome in October 1922.

On 31 October 1919, he assumed the post of Undersecretary of State for the Regia Marina and was Commissioner for the Merchant Navy. On 9 November 1923, he was appointed rear admiral in the Naval Reserve. In 1928, he was ennobled by King Victor Emmanuel III as Conte di Cortellazzo. He was the president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies from 1934 until his death, which occurred at Ponte a Moriano in 1939.

Awards and decorations

Military decorations
	Gold Medal of Military Valor
	Silver Medal of Military Valor
	Bronze Medal of Military Valor
	Commemorative Medal for the Italo-Austrian War 1915–1918
	Commemorative Medal of the Unity of Italy

External links

• Newspaper clippings about Costanzo Ciano in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW
• Santomassimo, Gianpasquale (1981). "CIANO, Costanzo". Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (in Italian). Vol. 25: Chinzer–Cirni. Rome: Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana. ISBN 978-88-12-00032-6.