Why was savonarola burned at the stake
- •
Girolamo Savonarola
Italian Dominican friar and reformer (1452–1498)
Girolamo Savonarola, OP (, ;[4][5][6]Italian:[dʒiˈrɔːlamosavonaˈrɔːla]; 21 September 1452 – 23 May 1498), also referred to as Jerome Savonarola,[7] was an asceticDominicanfriar from Ferrara and a preacher active in Renaissance Florence.[8] He became known for his prophecies of civic glory, his advocacy of the destruction of secular art and culture, and his calls for Christian renewal. He denounced clerical corruption, despotic rule, and the exploitation of the poor.
In September 1494, when King Charles VIII of France invaded Italy and threatened Florence, Savonarola's prophecies seemed on the verge of fulfillment. While the friar intervened with the French king, the Florentines expelled the ruling Medicis and at Savonarola's urging established a "well received" republic, effectively under Savonarola's control. Declaring that Florence would be the New Jerusalem, the world centre of Christianity and "richer, more powerful, more glorious than ever",
- •
There is no evidence that Niccolo Machiavelli ever met the charismatic Dominican friar and fiery preacher, Girolamo Savonarola, but we know he attended at least one of the friar’s sermons. In a letter to Ricciardo Bechi, dated March 9, 1498, Machiavelli described his experience. He was not impressed. He wrote that, in his judgement, Savonarola was a hypocrite who,
…acts in accordance with the times and colors his lies accordingly.*
Savonarola played a seminal role in the development of Machiavelli’s political and moral thought; not only through what Machiavelli perceived of him, but in the way Savonarola organized the government of Florence during his leadership.
Savonarola had been well schooled in both biblical and classical studies. He spent his early years as an itinerant priest making fiery and contentious sermons calling for reform and repentance, with an apocalyptic theme, throughout the northern Italian city states. After several years, in 1490, he was assigned to the convent of San Marco, where Lorenzo de Medici (Lorenzo the Magnificent) met him
- •
Machiavelli and Savonarola
Publication : 12 February 2015
368 pages
Format : 153 x 240 mm
Price : 19,90 euros
ISBN : 9782845636033
At the turn of the 16th century the world is fascinated by the city of Florence. The Republic, under the rule of the Medici, is envied for its prosperity, its splendor but also its intrigues.
Two men, who are polar opposites, seek to assert themselves in the city through the domination of consciousness. The first, Girolamo Savonarola, is a hot-tempered Dominican preacher who claims he receives messages from God. He fills the churches and calls for the ‘bonfire of the vanities’, the burning of jewelry, perfume and card games. This new master of Florence forces the Medici out of the city until the day he is excommunicated by the Pope. He ends up tortured, hanged and burnt.
Conversely, Niccolo Machiavelli is cold, prudent and calculating. After Savonarola’s execution this former Secretary of the Seigneur, who the Medici are no les suspicious of, attempts to enter into the enchanted circle of power through use of a formida
Copyright ©aimbomb.pages.dev 2025