Palazzo Strozzi
Palazzo Strozzi features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Florence. Give it roughly ~60 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type palace
- Suggested visit ~60 min
- Florence Florence guide
About Palazzo Strozzi
The finest private Renaissance palace in Florence, built in 1489 for banker Filippo Strozzi to rival the Medici, now hosting the city's most important temporary art exhibitions.
The Palazzo Strozzi is generally considered the finest private palace of the Florentine Renaissance, a monumental rusticated stone cube occupying an entire city block that was begun in 1489 for Filippo Strozzi the Elder, a wealthy banker who had returned from exile and was determined to build a palace that would rival and surpass anything the Medici had constructed.
Designed by Benedetto da Maiano and completed by Cronaca, the palace took nearly fifty years to complete and was never fully finished (the courtyard cornice remains incomplete to this day). It is a supreme example of Renaissance civic architecture: three storeys of massive rusticated ashlar, unified by elegant window surrounds and a projecting cornice, the ground floor designed for shops and service, the piano nobile for residence. Today the palace operates as Florence's principal venue for major temporary exhibitions, blockbuster shows of international standing that draw audiences from across Europe.
Did you know? The Palazzo Strozzi was deliberately built to dwarf and surpass the Medici palace, Filippo Strozzi reportedly specified that the windows should be larger than the main door of the Medici palace.
How long is a visit to Palazzo Strozzi?
Set aside roughly ~60 min for Palazzo Strozzi. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Palazzo Strozzi worth your time?
Palazzo Strozzi is among the 42 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Florence, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Florence
Hear the story of Palazzo Strozzi
Preview the Florence tour free in the Gingerguide app.