Corsini family

Corsini coat of arms (from Volterra)

Corsini is the name of a Florentine princely family.

History

The founder is said to be Neri Corsini, who came to prominence circa 1170. The family are likely to have originated from Corsica, during the time when the Republic of Pisa was ruling the island. Initially the family was known as Corso (from Corsica) then Corsino and finally Corsini. Like other Florentine nobles the Corsini initially had no titles, but in more recent times they received many from foreign potentates and from the later grand dukes of Tuscany.

Saint Andrew Corsini (1302—1373) was a member of this family.

The Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV made the head of the house a Count palatine in 1371; the marquisate of Sismano was conferred on them in 1620, those of Casigliano and Civitella in 1629, of Lajatico and Orciatico in 1644, of Giovagallo and Tresana in 1652.

In 1730 Lorenzo Corsini was elected pope as Clement XII, made a nephew (a true nepote) Cardinal Neri Corsini, and conferred the rank of Roman princes and the duchy of Casigliano on his family; in 1732 they were created Grandees of Spain.

They owned two palaces in Florence, one of which on the Lungarno Corsini (see Palazzo Corsini) contains the finest painting galleries in the city, and many villas and rural estates in various parts of Italy, including Prato.

See also

• Neri Corsini (disambiguation)

Sources and references

• L. Passerini, Genealogia e storia della famiglia Corsini (Florence, 1858)
• A. von Reumont, Geschichte der Stadt Rom (Berlin, 1868)
• Almanach de Gotha.
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company.  (passim)