The Albizzi family () was a Florentine family originally based in Arezzo, who were rivals of the

Medici The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Mu ...

and Alberti families. They were at the centre of Florentine

oligarchy Oligarchy (; ) is a conceptual form of power structure in which power rests with a small number of people. These people may or may not be distinguished by one or several characteristics, such as nobility, fame, wealth, education, or corporate, r ...

from 1382, in the reaction that followed the Ciompi revolt, to the rise of the Medici in 1434. They were active members of the

Arte della Lana The Arte della Lana was the wool guild of Florence during the Late Middle Ages and in the Renaissance. It was one of the seven '' Arti Maggiori ''("greater trades") of Florence, separate from the ''Arti Minori'' (the "lesser trades") and the ''Ar ...

, Florence's wool guild. The Guilds played a central role in the governance of the

Republic of Florence The Republic of Florence, officially the Florentine Republic ( it, Repubblica Fiorentina, , or ), was a medieval and early modern state that was centered on the Italian city of Florence in Tuscany. The republic originated in 1115, when the Flo ...

during the medieval period and guild members constituted Florence's political and economic oligarchy. The most famous and influential members of the family were Maso and his son

Rinaldo degli Albizzi Rinaldo degli Albizzi (1370–1442) was an Italian nobleman, a member of the Florentine family of the Albizzi. Along with Palla Strozzi, he was the primary opponent of Cosimo de' Medici's rise in Florence. Albizzi entered public service for the R ...

(1370–1442) who countered the rise of Cosimo de' Medici, exiling him in 1433.

Luca The last universal common ancestor (LUCA) is the most recent population from which all organisms now living on Earth share common descent—the most recent common ancestor of all current life on Earth. This includes all cellular organisms; th ...

, another son of Maso, was head of the Florentine galleys; his diary is an important source for historians. Luca was a loyal friend to Cosimo de' Medici. As a result, Luca was permitted to stay in Florence when the rest of his clan, including his brother, were exiled under the Medici regime in 1434. Moreover, in 1442, Luca Albizzi actually became the

Gonfaloniere The Gonfalonier (in Italian: ''Gonfaloniere'') was the holder of a highly prestigious communal office in medieval and Renaissance Italy, notably in Florence and the Papal States. The name derives from ''gonfalone'' (in English, gonfalon), the ter ...

of Justice and stayed a key ally of Cosimo during this time. The family

palazzo A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

in Borgo degli Albizzi was rebuilt with the return of the family in the early 16th century. Eleonora degli Albizzi was a mistress of the Grand-Duke Cosimo I de Medici. Giovanna degli Albizzi was the wife of Lorenzo Tornabuoni. Both were prominent art patrons in Florence during the late 15th century. A portrait of Giovanna was painted in 1488. Filippo degli Albizzi was a Florentine naturalist from the 18th century on behalf of whom ''

Albizia julibrissin ''Albizia julibrissin'', the Persian silk tree, pink silk tree, or mimosa tree, is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae, native to southwestern Asia and eastern Asia. The genus is named after the Italian nobleman Filippo degli Albizzi, w ...

'' was named.

Notes

Italian noble families Families of Florence Italian-language surnames {{Italy-hist-stub