The
strambotto (which I have also seen spelled
strambatto or
strombotto) is a specialized form of
poetry, much like the
ode or
sonnet, that was popularized in
Italy circa the historical period known as the
Renaissance. Related to the
ottava rima/sonetto rispetto form, each
stanza of a
strambotto has 8 lines and each line has 11 syllables, using the
iambic pentameter pattern of syllable stress. There are two chief
rhyming schemes for this form; each stanza of a
strambotto siciliano will run
a b a b a b a b, and each stanza of a
strambotto toscano will run
a b a b a b c c.
Poems written in the strambotto toscano style are usually found set to secular music in the 15th and 16th centuries C.E. If a strambotto siciliano was put to music between the 14th and 17th centuries, in either a cappella or accompanied format, it was referred to as a siciliana siciliano. This form is common to early 17th century monodies, especially as the arie siciliane. However, in the late 17th century the term sicilana siciliano took on a broader meaning.
Chief source for this writeup: The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music.