- Piero Strozzi
Piero (or Pietro) Strozzi (c.
1510 -21 June 1558 ) was an Italian military leader. He was a member of the rich Florentine family of theStrozzi .Biography
Piero Strozzi was the son of
Filippo Strozzi the Younger andClarice 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 ofCatherine 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 theBattle 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 againstCosimo de' Medici , leading a French army. He obtained apyrrhic victory atPontedera on11 June 1554 , but his army could not receive help from the ships of his brother Leone (who had been killed by anarquebus shot nearCastiglione della Pescaia ) and he was forced to retreat toPistoia . On2 August his defeat at theBattle of Marciano meant the end of the Senese independence.In 1556 he was appointed as superintendent of the Papal army and lord of
Epernay . In 1557 the participated in thesiege of Thionville , nearCalais . He died there the following year.He is generally credited as the inventor of the
dragoon military speciality (arquebusiers à cheval or horse arquibusiers). [p.102, Fortescue]His son Filippo was also a military commander.
Citations and notes
References
* Fortescue, John William, "A History of the British Army", volume I, chapter 2, Macmillan, 1899
Recommended reading
*Oman, Charles. "A History of the Art of War in the Sixteenth Century." London: Methuen & Co., 1937.
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