Strozzi
Encyclopedia
Strozzi is the name of an ancient and noble Florentine
family. Palla Strozzi
(1372-1462) played an important part in the public life of Florence, and founded the first public library in Florence in the monastery of Santa Trinita. Filippo Strozzi il Vecchio
(1428-1491), son of Matteo Strozzi and of Alessandra Macinghi
is credited with initiating construction of the Strozzi palace in Florence
.
(1488-1538) is probably the most well known member of the family. Although married to Clarice de' Medici
, a daughter of Piero di Lorenzo de' Medici
and member herself of the Medici
family, he was vehemently opposed to the hegemony the Medicis had acquired as the unofficial rulers of the Florentine republic
and was among the leaders of the uprising of 1527.
After the republic was overthrown in 1530 Alessandro de' Medici attempted to win Filippo Strozzi's support, but Strozzi declined and instead retired to Venice
. After the murder of Alessandro
in 1537 he assumed leadership of a group of republican exiles with the object of re-entering the city but having been captured and subsequently tortured he committed suicide.
Filippo Strozzi's older son Piero
(1500 - 1558), fought in Scotland against the English, and in France against the Holy Roman Empire and Spain, and was made a Marshal of France
in 1554. He took part in the French siege of Calais
(1557), and died of wounds incurred in battle at Thionville
, in Lorraine, in 1558. The younger son Leone
(1515-1554) was a distinguished admiral in the service of France
and fought against the Medici
. He died of a wound received while attacking Sarlino in 1554.
Filippo di Piero Strozzi
(1541-1582) served in the French army
, and was captured and killed by the Spaniards
at the Battle of Terceira.
Senator Carlo Strozzi (1587-1671) formed an important library and collected a valuable miscellany known as the Carte Strozziane, of which the most important part is now in the state archive
s of Florence. He was the author
of a Storietta della città di Firenze dal 1219 al 1292 (unpublished) and a Storia della casa Barberini (Rome
, 1640).
It is unclear whether Bernardo Strozzi
(c.1581-1644), a prominent and prolific Italian Baroque painter born and active mainly in Genoa and Venice, was a part of this immediate family.
The composer Barbara Strozzi
(1619-1677) was adopted by the poet Giulio Strozzi, presumably her natural father.
The Strozzi acquired by marriage the titles of Princes of Forano and Dukes of Bagnolo. The Strozzi palace belonged to the family until 1937 when it was sold to the National Insurance Institution 'Istituto Nazionale delle Assicurazioni (INA). From 1999 it became Italian State's property.
Today, the Strozzi descendents are still living in Florence, and America.
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
family. Palla Strozzi
Palla Strozzi
Palla di Onofrio Strozzi was an Italian banker, politician, writer, philosopher and philologist.-Biography:He was born in Florence into the rich family of the Strozzi. He was educated by humanists, learning Greek and Latin, and establishing an important collection of rare books...
(1372-1462) played an important part in the public life of Florence, and founded the first public library in Florence in the monastery of Santa Trinita. Filippo Strozzi il Vecchio
Filippo Strozzi the Elder
Filippo Strozzi the Elder was an Italian banker and statesman, a member of the affluent Strozzi family of Florence....
(1428-1491), son of Matteo Strozzi and of Alessandra Macinghi
Alessandra Macinghi
Alessandra Macinghi was a 15th-century Florentine woman. She lost her parents at an early age, and was married to Matteo Strozzi when she was about 14. The Strozzi family was then one of the more influential merchant and diplomatic families of the city. The couple had eight children; five of them,...
is credited with initiating construction of the Strozzi palace in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
.
Filippo Strozzi
Filippo IIFilippo Strozzi the Younger
thumb|250px|A view of [[Palazzo Strozzi]] in Florence.Filippo Strozzi the Younger was an Italian condottiero and banker, the most famous member of the Florentine Strozzi family in the Renaissance.-Biography:...
(1488-1538) is probably the most well known member of the family. Although married to Clarice de' Medici
Clarice de' Medici
Clarice de' Medici was the daughter of Piero di Lorenzo de' Medici and Alfonsina Orsini.Born in Florence, she was the granddaughter of Lorenzo de' Medici, niece of Pope Leo X and sister to Lorenzo II de' Medici...
, a daughter of Piero di Lorenzo de' Medici
Piero di Lorenzo de' Medici
Piero de' Medici , called Piero the Unfortunate, was the Gran maestro of Florence from 1492 until his exile in 1494.-Life and death:...
and member herself of the Medici
Medici
The House of Medici or Famiglia de' Medici was a political dynasty, banking family and later royal house that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici in the Republic of Florence during the late 14th century. The family originated in the Mugello region of the Tuscan countryside,...
family, he was vehemently opposed to the hegemony the Medicis had acquired as the unofficial rulers of the Florentine republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
and was among the leaders of the uprising of 1527.
After the republic was overthrown in 1530 Alessandro de' Medici attempted to win Filippo Strozzi's support, but Strozzi declined and instead retired to Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. After the murder of Alessandro
Alessandro de' Medici, Duke of Florence
Alessandro de' Medici called "il Moro" , Duke of Penne and also Duke of Florence , ruler of Florence from 1530 until 1537...
in 1537 he assumed leadership of a group of republican exiles with the object of re-entering the city but having been captured and subsequently tortured he committed suicide.
Other family members
Piero Strozzi
Piero Strozzi was an Italian military leader. He was a member of the rich Florentine family of the Strozzi.-Biography:Piero Strozzi was the son of Filippo Strozzi the Younger and Clarice de' Medici....
(1500 - 1558), fought in Scotland against the English, and in France against the Holy Roman Empire and Spain, and was made a Marshal of France
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
in 1554. He took part in the French siege of Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
(1557), and died of wounds incurred in battle at Thionville
Thionville
Thionville , is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. The city is located on the left bank of the river Moselle, opposite its suburb Yutz.-Demographics:...
, in Lorraine, in 1558. The younger son Leone
Leone Strozzi
Leone Strozzi was an Italian condottiero belonging to the famous Strozzi family of Florence.-Biography:He was the son of Filippo Strozzi the Younger and Clarice de' Medici, and brother to Piero, Roberto and Lorenzo Strozzi.After his father's defeat in the Battle of Montemurlo, Strozzi fled with...
(1515-1554) was a distinguished admiral in the service of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and fought against the Medici
Medici
The House of Medici or Famiglia de' Medici was a political dynasty, banking family and later royal house that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici in the Republic of Florence during the late 14th century. The family originated in the Mugello region of the Tuscan countryside,...
. He died of a wound received while attacking Sarlino in 1554.
Filippo di Piero Strozzi
Filippo di Piero Strozzi
Filippo di Piero Strozzi was an Italian condottiero, a member of the Florentine family of the Strozzi. He fought mainly for France.-Biography:...
(1541-1582) served in the French army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
, and was captured and killed by the Spaniards
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
at the Battle of Terceira.
Senator Carlo Strozzi (1587-1671) formed an important library and collected a valuable miscellany known as the Carte Strozziane, of which the most important part is now in the state archive
Archive
An archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
s of Florence. He was the author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of a Storietta della città di Firenze dal 1219 al 1292 (unpublished) and a Storia della casa Barberini (Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, 1640).
It is unclear whether Bernardo Strozzi
Bernardo Strozzi
Bernardo Strozzi was a prominent and prolific Italian Baroque painter born and active mainly in Genoa, and also active in Venice.-Biography:Strozzi was born in Genoa. He was probably not related to the other Strozzi family....
(c.1581-1644), a prominent and prolific Italian Baroque painter born and active mainly in Genoa and Venice, was a part of this immediate family.
The composer Barbara Strozzi
Barbara Strozzi
Barbara Strozzi was an Italian Baroque singer and composer.-Life:...
(1619-1677) was adopted by the poet Giulio Strozzi, presumably her natural father.
Family fortune
Until its exile from Florence in 1434, the Strozzi family was by far the richest in the city, and was rivaled only by the Medici family, who ultimately took control of the government and ruined the Strozzi both financially and politically. This political and financial competition was the origin of the Strozzi-Medici rivalry. Later, while the Medici ruled Florence, the Strozzi family was ruling Siena. Florence attacked Siena at that time, which caused great animosity between the two families. Soon afterwards, the Strozzi married into the Medici family, essentially giving the Medici superiority.The Strozzi acquired by marriage the titles of Princes of Forano and Dukes of Bagnolo. The Strozzi palace belonged to the family until 1937 when it was sold to the National Insurance Institution 'Istituto Nazionale delle Assicurazioni (INA). From 1999 it became Italian State's property.
Today, the Strozzi descendents are still living in Florence, and America.