CORSINI

'Corsini' is the name of a Florentine princely family and its estates.

Contents

History

Legacy

Sources and references

History

The founder is said to be 'Neri Corsini', who flourished about the year 1170. Like other Florentine nobles the Corsini had at first 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 created 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, created 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.

Legacy

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.

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''.

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