Palazzo Strozzi, Florence

History of Palazzo Strozzi

The Strozzi were among Florence's richest banking families and long-standing rivals of the Medici. In 1489 Filippo Strozzi the Elder began a palace meant to be the largest and finest private house in the city, buying and clearing more than a dozen neighbouring houses to make room.

Benedetto da Maiano started the design and the architect Cronaca took over, adding the famous massive cornice at the top. Work dragged on, and Filippo's heirs carried on for nearly half a century, finishing in 1538. The family owned it until the 20th century.

It's seen as the model Renaissance palazzo: a severe stone cube of three storeys, each with a row of identical arched windows, and a regular square courtyard with an arcade inside. The exterior is faced with rustication, large bulging blocks, and at the corners hang wrought-iron lanterns and horse rings by a smith nicknamed Caparra.

Exhibitions at Palazzo Strozzi

The palace is now home to the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi and is Florence's main exhibition venue. It stages major shows, from Renaissance and Baroque painters to the best-known contemporary artists, often offering a fresh look at familiar names or big retrospectives that go on to museums abroad.

Besides the exhibition rooms, the palace houses research institutions, among them the Gabinetto Vieusseux, a historic library and reading room founded in the 19th century and once frequented by Stendhal, Dostoevsky and many other European writers living in Florence. Scholars still work there, and its rooms host lectures and literary evenings.

Exhibitions change several times a year, so what you'll see depends on when you travel. Check the programme on the official website: popular shows draw weekend queues, and buying online is easier. Family trails and workshops are usually on offer for children.

The inner courtyard often hosts large contemporary installations, which you can see free of charge without an exhibition ticket.

What to see at Palazzo Strozzi

• The rusticated façade — huge stone blocks.
• Wrought-iron lanterns and rings — at the corners.
• Cronaca's cornice — the heavy crown over the façade.
• The inner courtyard — arcade and installations, free entry.
• The current exhibition — the main reason to go in.
• The courtyard café — a break between museums.

Via Tornabuoni and around

The palace stands beside Via Tornabuoni, Florence's smartest and most expensive street, lined with the boutiques of famous Italian fashion houses in old palazzi. Carry on to the Santa Trinita bridge with its view of the Ponte Vecchio, or to the church of Santa Trinita with frescoes by Ghirlandaio.

The cathedral is five minutes away and Santa Maria Novella and the station ten, so Palazzo Strozzi fits easily into your first or last day in Florence.

Tips for your visit

Check which exhibition is on during your dates; the palace sometimes closes between shows for installation. Tickets are easiest bought in advance on the foundation's site. On Thursdays exhibitions usually stay open late, and evenings are noticeably quieter.

Photography without flash is usually allowed in the rooms, but rules vary by exhibition. It's a good visit with children: the foundation runs family programmes, and the courtyard is a pleasant place to rest.

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How to do it right

• The courtyard is free.
• Check the current exhibition.
• Late opening on Thursdays.
• Via Tornabuoni is next door.

Questions