Piero Strozzi

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Piero (or Pietro) Strozzi (c. 1510 - June 21, 1558) was an Italian military leader. He was a member of the rich Florentine family of the Strozzi.

[edit] Biography

Piero Strozzi was the son of Filippo Strozzi the Younger and Clarice de' Medici.

Although in 1539 he married another Medici, Laudomia di Pierfrancesco, he was a fierce opponent of the main line of that family. He fought in the army led by his father and other Florentine exile from France to oust the Medici from Florence, but, after their defeat at the Battle of Montemurlo, Piero fled to France at the court of Catherine de' Medici.

He was in French service during the Italian War of 1542. Having raised an army of Italian mercenaries, he was confronted by the Imperial forces at the Battle of Serravalle, where he was defeated.

He was named marshal of France in 1554.

Later he fought in the defence of the Republic of Siena against Cosimo de' Medici, leading a French army. He obtained a Phyrric victory at Pontedera on June 11, 1554, but his army could not receive help from the ships of his brother Leone (who had been killed by an arquibuse shot near Castiglione della Pescaia) and he was forced to retreat to Pistoia. On August 2 his defeat at the Battle of Marciano meant the end of the Senese independence.

In 1556 he was appointed as superintendant of the Papal army and lord of Epernay. In 1557 the participated in the siege of Thionville, near Calais. He died there the following year.

He is generally credited as the inventor of the dragoon military speciality (horse arquibusiers).

His son Filippo was also a military commander.

[edit] Reference

• Oman, Charles. A History of the Art of War in the Sixteenth Century. London: Methuen & Co., 1937.