Memorials

S. Maria Novella 011.3a Cappella di SS. Filippo e Giovanni Evangelista de Filippo Strozzi

Situated In

S. Maria Novella -- chiesa di Santa Maria Novella -- transept -- braccio destro (compass east, liturgical south)

Alternate Names

Cappella delli Strozzi del Palazzo
Cappella di Filippo Strozzi

Rosselli Number	11.0
Memorial Type	chapel
Status	extant
Current Repository	in situ
Primary Installation	na
Secondary Installation	na
Tomb Form	na
Liturgical Orientation	E
Documented Types	sepolcro monumento cappella cartella pavimento chiusino
Component Parts	mural pavement plaque tomb
Decorative Elements
Material	black marble
Database ID	246

Dates

1486
April 21st, 1487 to 1497 a	decoration
1753 b	renovation
1859 c	renovation

Inscriptions (4 total)

2670	DOM. Ad majorem SS. Philippi, et Jacobi Familiae Patronorum honorem sacram hanc aedem, eiusque Picturam vetustate deformatam Philippus Strozza Dux Balneoli cum Ferdinando Fratre, et Laurentius Maria Leonis Filius praecipua ipsius Laurentij cura instaurarunt anno Domini MDCCLIII	To God, the Best and Greatest. Filippo Strozzi, Duke of Bagnolo, together with his brother Ferdinando and Lorenzo Maria, son of Leone, restored this chapel, dedicated to the Most Holy Saints Philip and James, patrons of the family, together with its painting, which had been damaged by age, in the year of Our Lord 1753, under the particular supervision of Lorenzo himself.
2667	D.O.M. / AEDICULAM • HANC / PHILIPPO • STROZZIO • BALNEOLI • DUCE / FERDINANDO • EIUS • FRATRE / ET • LAURENTIO • LEONIS • FILIO / CURANTIBUS • INSTAURATAM • AN. MDCCLIII / FERDINANDUS • FORANI • PRINCEPS • ITERUM • EXPOLIVIT / MARMORATO • UNA • REFECTO / QUAQUE • PICTURAM • INSTAURATIO • ILLA • FOEDARAT/ IN • PRISTINUM • DECUS • RESTITUIT • MDCCCLIX	To God, the Best and Greatest. This chapel, restored in 1753 under the supervision of Filippo Strozzi, Duke of Bagnolo, his brother Ferdinando, and Lorenzo, son of Leone, was again refurbished by Ferdinando prince of Forano, who restored the marble revetment and returned the painting—which that restoration had disfigured—to its original beauty, 1859.
2668	D: O: M: / SACELLUM . HOC . D . IOANNI . EVANGELISTAE / IAM . PRIDEM . DICATUM . PHILIPPUS . STROZZA / MATTHAEI . FILIUS . SIBI . SUISQUE . ACQUISITUM / ANNO . DOMINI . MCCCCLXXXVI / DD . PHILIPPO . ET . IACOBO . APOSTOLIS . ANTIQUIS . FAMILIAE . PATRONIS . SACRUM / VOLUIT . ET . PHILIPPI . LIPPI . EGREGII / PICTORIS . MANU . ORNANDUM . CURAVIT	To God, the Best and Greatest. Filippo Strozzi, son of Matteo, acquired this chapel, long dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist, for himself and his descendants in the year of Our Lord 1486. He wished it to be dedicated to Saints Philip and James the Apostles, the ancient patron saints of the family, and had it decorated by the hand of the distinguished painter Filipp(ino) Lippi.
2669	DOM. Sacellum hoc D. Joanni Evangelistae iam pridem dicatum Philippus Strozza Matthaei Filius sibi, suisque acquisitum anno Domini MCCCCLXXXXVI [sic]	To God, the Best and Greatest. Filippo Strozzi, son of Matteo, acquired this chapel, long dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist, for himself and his descendants in the year of Our Lord 1496 [sic]

Individuals (7 total)

Strozzi, Filippo di Matteo di Simone di Filippo di M. Lionardo	April 21st, 1487 to May 14th, 1491
Lippi, Filippino di fra Filippo di Tommaso	April 21st, 1487 to March 22nd, 1502 d
da Maiano, Benedetto di Lionardo di Antonio	circa 1487 (date is approximate) to circa 1495 (date is approximate)	e
Strozzi, Ferdinando (cavaliere) di Lorenzo Francesco di Giambattista di Lorenzo di Lorenzo	1753
Strozzi, Filippo di Lorenzo Francesco di Giambattista di Lorenzo di Lorenzo (Duca di Bagnolo e marchese di Forano)	1753
Strozzi, Lorenzo di Leone di Lorenzo di Lorenzo di Giambattista	1753
Strozzi, Ferdinando Lorenzo di Ferdinando di Lorenzo di Ferdinando di Lorenzo Francesco (principe di Forano)	1859

Groups (1 total)

Strozzi

Related Memorials (2 total)

S. Maria Novella 011.2 Cappella di S. Giovanni Apostolo et Evangelista de Boni	1487
S. Maria Novella 011.3b tomb of Filippo Strozzi 1491:	1491

Sources (4 total)

ASF, Manoscritti, 812, Sermartelli, Sep. S. M. Novella (copy)	fol. 45v–47 (pp. 36-39 o.s.)
ASF, Manoscritti, 624, Rosselli, Sepoltuario Fiorentino, 1657 (copy)	pp. 684–5, no. 11
ASF, Manoscritti, 628, Sepoltuari da Francesco della Foresta	pp. 334–35, no. xi
E. Giurescu, Trecento Family Chapels	pp. 33–35

Notes

[a] Filippo Strozzi contracted Filippino Lippi to paint his new family chapel in Santa Maria Novella in April 1487. The artist would eventually decorate the walls with scenes from the life of St. John the Evangelist, starting his frescoes in 1489. Filippo would not live to see their completion, dying on 14 May 1491, but his heirs saw the project through to the end, though not without difficulty as Filippino filed a lawsuit in April 1497 claiming that Filippo's heirs had not paid him enough for the project. The artist prevailed, agreeing to complete the frescoes after receiving 250 large florins. See Goldner, George R. et al. The Drawings of Filippino Lippi and His Circle. New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1997, pp. 4, 5, 6.
[b] Filippo Strozzi, Duke of Bagnolo, restored the chapel along with his brother Ferdinando and kinsman Lorenzo di Leone.
[c] The pavement was redone in the nineteenth century in imitation of the original by Benedetto da Maiano at the behest of Prince Ferdinando Forani, who commemorated all of the chapel's major patrons in two inscribed benches installed in the chapel.
[d] As Filippino received no additional payments from the Strozzi after 22 March 1502, Eve Borsook has concluded that the frescoes were surely done by this point. A building in his mural depicting the Raising of Drusiana carries the date 1501. See Eve Borsook, “Documents for Filippo Strozzi’s Chapel in Santa Maria Novella and Other Related Papers-I.” The Burlington Magazine 112, no. 812 (1970): 737–47, esp. p. 745.
[e] Payment records and an inventory of Filippo Strozzi's papers drawn up after his death on 14 May 1491 indicate that Benedetto began his work to decorate the chapel during Filippo's lifetime, having received 161 florins in December of that year for work done up to that point. His final payment was rendered on 27 March 1495 when he received 213 florins. It remains unclear, however, when all the various components Benedetto made -- the marble inlaid floor, the various parts of the tomb and other marble fittings including the altar table -- were installed in the chapel.