Filippo Strozzi at The Louvre, Paris

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Filippo Strozzi the Elder was born on July 4, 1428. He was an Italian banker and statesman who belonged to the affluent Strozzi family of Florence. His parents were Matteo Strozzi and Alessandra Macinghi. As a young man, he opposed Cosimo de' Medici's rule, which led to his banishment from Florence along with his entire family. Palla Strozzi was the main opposition leader against Cosimo de' Medici. Filippo moved to Naples where he gained a renowned reputation as a banker. When he returned to Florence, he commissioned Benedetto da Maiano to build the famous family palace, however, he died before its completion in 1491. The construction of the Strozzi Palace was completed by his son after Filippo's death. Benedetto da Maiano was born on May 4, 1442, in the village of Maiano near Fiesole. He started his career as an apprentice to his brother, Giuliano da Maiano. After reaching thirty years old, he began training under the sculptor Antonio Rossellino. Benedetto learned how to work with marble and eventually became more famous than Rossellino. Benedetto's early life focused on wood-mosaic art. King Corvinus of Hungary invited him to his court, where it is said that the destruction of some inlay work he was taking to his patron led him to seek more durable materials. His early attributed works include a shrine dedicated to San Savino for the cathedral of Faenza. Benedetto specialized in religious sculpture but also carved portraits of important Florentines. In 1474, he created the bust of Pietro Mellini in the Bargello museum. He worked with his brother Giuliano on the Collegiata church in San Gimignano in 1475. Benedetto's most notable contribution was the carved altar in the chapel of Santa Fina. In 1480, he designed and built the framework of the doorway of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. The marble pulpit in the Santa Croce church is considered his masterpiece, featuring scenes from the life of St. Francis of Assisi. With his brother Giuliano, he built and made sculptures for the little oratory of the Madonna dell'Olivo outside Prato in 1480. The adolescent St. John of the Bargello is attributed to the year 1481. Benedetto died at the age of 55 in Florence. His work continues to be admired by people around the world, and his legacy lives on through his beautiful sculptures. This object is part of "Scan The World", a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory to create a digital archive of fully printable sculptures for free. If you have interesting items you'd like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help. Scanned: Photogrammetry (Processed using Agisoft PhotoScan)