1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Strozzi

STROZZI, the name of an ancient and noble Florentine family, which was already famous in the 14th century. 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 (1426-1491), son of Matteo and of Alessandra Macinghi, a famous literary woman, began to build the beautiful Strozzi palace in Florence. More celebrated was another Filippo Strozzi (1488-1538), who, although married to a Medici, opposed the hegemony of that house and was one of the leaders of the rising of 1527. On the final overthrow of the republic in 1530 Alessandro de' Medici attempted to win over Filippo Strozzi, but Strozzi had no faith in the tyrant and retired to Venice. After the murder of Alessandro he undertook the leadership of a band of republican exiles with the object of re-entering the city (1537); but having been defeated and captured and put to the torture, he committed suicide. His 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. Another Filippo (1541-1582) served in the French army, and was captured and killed by the Spaniards. 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is now in the state archives of Florence; he was the author of a Storietta della città di Firenze dal 1279 al 1292 (unpublished) and a Storia della casa Barberini (Rome, 1640). The Strozzi acquired by marriage the titles of princes of Forano, dukes of Bagnolo, &c. The Strozzi palace, which belonged to the family until 1907, was bequeathed by will to the Italian nation.

See A. Bardi, Filippo Strozzi (Florence, 1894); B. Niccolini, Filippo Strozzi (Florence); C. Guasti, Le Carte Strozziane (Florence, 1884-1891).