Andrea Vrana hailed from the well-known local Vrana noble family. The family was based in Xibër village, today in the Mat District. The Byzantine–Norman wars and the Crusades in the 11-12th centuries gave Albanian powerful families an increased political importance. Both Byzantines and Normans made efforts to gain support from them, offering political posts. Amid this, Manfred of Sicily chose to trust the leadership of the imposed military government in Durazzo to Andrea Vrana. He was appointed "capitano" (captain) of the city. Before that, a relative of him served in 1185 as an official of the Byzantine Empire in the Mat region.