Strozzi Palace

Palazzo Strozzi, located in the heart of Florence, represents one of the most significant examples of Florentine Renaissance architecture. Built between 1489 and 1538 at the behest of Filippo Strozzi, a wealthy merchant eager to compete with the Medici family, the palace is a symbol of the power and prestige of the Strozzi family. Filippo Strozzi, exiled with his family in 1434 for opposing the Medici, managed to return to Florence in 1466, amassing a considerable fortune as a banker in Naples. Determined to reaffirm his family’s power, Filippo purchased and demolished numerous buildings to make space for the construction of the largest palace ever seen in Florence. The design of the palace was initially entrusted to Benedetto da Maiano, with Giuliano da Sangallo creating a wooden model between 1489 and 1490. The construction was a monumental undertaking, and even astronomers were consulted to choose the most auspicious day for laying the foundation stone, which took place on August 6, 1489. However, Filippo Strozzi died in 1491, leaving the work unfinished. The work was continued by his heirs, under the direction of Simone del Pollaiolo, known as Il Cronaca, who completed the upper floor and magnificent cornice in 1502, followed by the four-sided porticoed courtyard in 1503. The palace features a cubic facade developed on three floors around a central courtyard, inspired by Michelozzo’s Palazzo Medici but on a larger scale. The facade is characterized by rusticated stone decreasing in size towards the top, rectangular windows on the ground floor, and mullioned windows on the upper floors, as well as three arched portals on each of the three main sides. The exteriors of the palace are decorated with wrought iron torch holders, torches, and flag holders, created by Niccolò Grosso, known as Il Caparra, based on designs by Benedetto da Maiano. Between the windows are iron brackets for torches and banners, while at the bottom there are horseshoes with Strozzi emblems, some of which are copies of the originals. Inside, the central courtyard, designed by Il Cronaca, is an example of harmonious proportions and symmetry, with Corinthian columns supporting the round arches. The rooms of the palace, spread over three floors, were originally decorated with frescoes and luxurious furnishings. In 1638, Gherardo Silvani created a chapel on the first floor, while in 1662 he expanded the staircase on Via Tornabuoni. Over the centuries, Palazzo Strozzi has undergone numerous restoration and modification interventions. Between 1863 and 1865, architect Giuseppe Poggi “restored” the palace, adding the characteristic “bench of Via” along the three main facades. Other significant restorations were carried out between 1938 and 1940 under the direction of Ugo Giovannozzi, who completed the unfinished side on Vicolo degli Strozzi and symmetrically replicated the existing portion of the cornice on Via de’ Tornabuoni. In 1998, the palace was acquired by the Italian State and transferred for use to the Municipality of Florence in 1999. Today, Palazzo Strozzi houses important cultural institutions, including the Palazzo Strozzi Foundation, the Strozzina Center for Contemporary Culture (CCCS), the National Institute of Renaissance Studies, the Italian Institute of Human Sciences, and the G.P. Vieusseux Scientific Literary Cabinet.