# Palazzo Strozzi, Florence > Palazzo Strozzi is one of the grandest Renaissance palaces, built for the banker Filippo Strozzi near fashionable Via Tornabuoni. Today it's Florence's leading exhibition venue, with major shows from old masters to contemporary art, and a courtyard café you can visit for free. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours for an exhibition. Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/palazzo-strozzi - City: [Florence](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence), Italy - YesGo score: 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 15 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Courtyard free; exhibitions paid - Opening hours: Daily, later on Thursdays - Highlights: Temporary exhibitions, courtyard, façade - Café: In the inner courtyard - Time needed: 1–1.5 hours per exhibition - Location: Off Via Tornabuoni, 5 minutes from the Duomo - Coordinates: 43.77130, 11.25239 - Facts checked: 11.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1489** — building began for Filippo Strozzi the Elder (source: English Wikipedia) - **1538** — the palace was completed (source: English Wikipedia) - **Cronaca** — architect of the massive cornice (source: English Wikipedia) - **Rustication** — the façade is built of rough-cut stone blocks (source: English Wikipedia) - **Foundation** — the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi now runs the palace (source: English Wikipedia) ## 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. > **The courtyard is free** You can walk into the Palazzo Strozzi courtyard without a ticket to see the Renaissance arcade and the current installation, and have a coffee. It's a good short stop on a walk through the centre, even if you've no time for the exhibition. ## 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](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/ponte-vecchio), or to the church of **Santa Trinita** with frescoes by Ghirlandaio. The [cathedral](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/florence-cathedral) is five minutes away and [Santa Maria Novella](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/santa-maria-novella) and the station ten, so Palazzo Strozzi fits easily into your first or last day in Florence. ## How to get to Palazzo Strozzi 1. From Florence Cathedral, 5 minutes on foot. 2. From [Piazza della Signoria](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/piazza-della-signoria), 6 minutes. 3. From **Santa Maria Novella** station, 10 minutes. 4. Entrances on Piazza degli Strozzi and Via Tornabuoni. ## 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. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Check which exhibition is on during your trip - [ ] Buy a ticket on the foundation's site - [ ] Find the iron lanterns on the corners - [ ] See the courtyard installation - [ ] Stroll along Via Tornabuoni ## Florence's palaces: compare and choose Palaces and residences in Florence rated by YesGo. - [Palazzo Vecchio](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/palazzo-vecchio) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Courtyard free, museum paid - [Palazzo Pitti](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/palazzo-pitti) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Paid - [Palazzo Medici Riccardi](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/palazzo-medici-riccardi) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Paid - [Bargello](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/bargello) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Paid - [Palazzo Strozzi](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/palazzo-strozzi) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Courtyard free, exhibitions paid ## The centre in half a day Santa Maria Novella and Palazzo Strozzi, then the Ponte Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria. 1. [Santa Maria Novella](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/santa-maria-novella) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Paid 2. [Palazzo Strozzi](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/palazzo-strozzi) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Courtyard free, exhibitions paid 3. [Ponte Vecchio](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/ponte-vecchio) — YesGo score 60/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free 4. [Piazza della Signoria](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/piazza-della-signoria) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 40 min · Free ## Don't mix it up Palazzo Strozzi is an exhibition centre with no permanent collection: what you see inside depends on the current show. It isn't Palazzo Pitti or the Palazzo Vecchio, which house permanent museums. ## Tips - The courtyard is free. - Check the current exhibition. - Late opening on Thursdays. - Via Tornabuoni is next door. ## Questions ### What's on at Palazzo Strozzi? Temporary exhibitions by the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, from old masters to contemporary art; there's no permanent collection. ### Is Palazzo Strozzi free? The courtyard is free; exhibitions need a ticket, priced per show. ### Who built Palazzo Strozzi? Benedetto da Maiano began it for the banker Filippo Strozzi in 1489, Cronaca continued, and it was finished in 1538. ### When is Palazzo Strozzi open? Usually daily, later on Thursdays; it may close between exhibitions. ### How long do you need for an exhibition? 1 to 1.5 hours. ## How we checked Palace history from English Wikipedia. Exhibition prices and hours weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Palazzo Strozzi - Official foundation site, palazzostrozzi.org --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.