Pavao Špirančić

Pavao Špirančić or Sperančić (c. 1400 – 1463) was a Croatian nobleman and the Ban of Croatia and Dalmatia from 1459 to 1463. In the sources he is often mentioned with the nickname Horvat. He was appointed as Ban of Croatia and Dalmatia by Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus. With Pavao's and Frankopan family's help, the king Matthias tried to consolidate his power in the areas southern of Mount Velebit, where the Republic of Venice and Ottoman Empire posed threats. As Pavao didn't get the help from Hungarian king, he was forced to ask Venetians for help. Later in the same year, his forces were defeated by Ottoman army and he was captured by the Ottomans where he died in captivity. Marija used that opportunity and fled to the Venetians. Pavao's wife Margareta was mentioned in the sources in the years after as "Banica" or "Princess of Cetina and Klis", but in 1466, Klis was taken by Croatian ban Ivan Thuz of Lak.