STROZZI FAMILY. - Its known progenitor is a STROZZA of Ubaldino who lived in the second half of the 13th century. From his sons, PINO, LAPO, PAGNO and GERI, four lines descended.
BARDO of Lorenzo, a descendant of PALLA of Lapo, moved to Ferrara, where his branch died out in 1737. A descendant of Luso of Lapo, LORENZO of Giovan Battista the Elder, was the progenitor of the branch that lasted in Florence throughout the 19th century, while his brother FILIPPO gave rise to another branch, moving to Rome. Finally from Geri descended NANNE, progenitor of the S. of Ferrara, and BENEDETTO, progenitor of those of Mantua. The S. took an active part in the political struggles in Florence during the republic and in the early days of the principate, and many of them distinguished themselves in the military, in the ecclesiastical career, in letters and in the arts.
TOMMASO was one of the Otto Santi in the war against Gregory IX. FILIPPO the Elder, hostile to the Medici, was banished from Florence, then, readmitted, began the construction of the family palace. GIOVANNI BATTISTA called Filippo, at first a supporter of the Medici, then, urged on by his son Piero, after the death of Duke Alessandro made common cause with the exiles; captured at Montemurlo and taken to Florence, he killed himself or was killed in prison. PIERO, at first a favorite of Duke Alessandro, later became his bitterest enemy, and after his death led the opponents of Cosimo I. After the defeat of Montemurlo and his father's death, he entered the service of the King of France and commanded his troops in the war of Siena, continuing the resistance afterward at Montalcino. Appointed marshal of France, he fought under the orders of the Duke of Guise and fell on the field at Thionville on 21 June 1558. Piero's brother, LEONE (b. 1515, d. 26 June 1554), despite the favors received from Clement VII, out of hatred for the Medici entered the service of the Order of Malta and fought the Turks in the retinue of Andrea Doria; he served France against the Medici and the Empire. He was mortally wounded while attempting a landing on the coasts of Tuscany. Among the ecclesiastics are to be remembered: ROBERTO of Carlo, canonist, who taught in the Studio of Pisa at the end of the 15th century and was vicar general of that diocese for the archbishop Cardinal Riario, and particularly LORENZO who, appointed by the King of France bishop of Béziers on 7 Dec. 1547, was then transferred to Alby on 14 Apr. 1561, then to Aix on 6 Feb. 1568; on 15 March 1557 he had been created cardinal by Paul IV; he died at Avignon on 14 Dec. 1571. Like his relatives he had been in the service of France. From ISABELLA S., wife of Bartolomeo Corsini, was born LORENZO, later Pope Clement XII (v.). Among the men of letters and philosophers: PALLA of Onofrio (c. 1373-1462) Hellenist; TITO VESPASIANO (1424-1505) Latin poet; his son ERCOLE (1473-1508), also a Latin poet, who ended up mysteriously murdered; GIOVAN BATTISTA the Elder (1505-71); Sister LORENZA, poetess, Dominican (1514-1591); GIOVAN BATTISTA the Younger (1551-1634); CARLO (1587-1670), scholar and collector of codices, created count palatine by Urban VIII. Among the artists: ZANOBI, miniaturist and painter, disciple of Fra Angelico; BERNARDO (1581-1644) who belonged to the 17th-century Venetian school and is particularly noted as a portraitist.
Bibliography3 works
Roberto Palmarocchi