Girolamo Savonarola by Fra Bartolomeo, c. 1498.

Girolamo Savonarola (September 21, 1452 – May 23, 1498), also translated as Jerome Savonarola or Hieronymus Savonarola, was an Italian Dominican priest and leader of Florence from 1494 until his execution in 1498. He was known for anti-Renaissance preaching, book burning, and destruction of what he considered immoral art. He vehemently preached against what he saw as the moral corruption of the clergy, and his main opponent was Pope Alexander VI. He is sometimes seen as a precursor of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation, though he remained a devout and pious Roman Catholic during his whole life. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (445x625, 23 KB) Girolamo Savonarola, by Fra Bartolomeo. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (445x625, 23 KB) Girolamo Savonarola, by Fra Bartolomeo. ... The Vision of St. ... is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events October - English troops under John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, land in Guyenne, France, and retake most of the province without a fight. ... is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1498 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Florence (or Firenze, Florentia and Fiorenza) is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany, and of the province of Florence. ... This article is about the European Renaissance of the 14th-17th centuries. ... Book burning is the practice of ceremoniously destroying by fire one or more copies of a book or other written material. ... Pope Alexander VI (1 January 1431 – 18 August 1503), born Roderic Borja (Italian: Borgia), (reigned from 1492 to 1503), is the most controversial of the secular popes of the Renaissance and one whose surname became a byword for the debased standards of the papacy of that era. ... Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was a German monk,[1] priest, professor, theologian, and church reformer. ... Topics in Christianity Preaching Prayer Ecumenism Relation to other religions Movements Music Liturgy Calendar Symbols Art Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Reformation redirects here. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ...

His religious actions have been compared to those of the later Jansenists, although many theological differences exist. Jansenism was a branch of Catholic thought tracing itself back to Cornelius Otto Jansen (1585 – 1638), a Flemish theologian. ...

Biography

Early years

Savonarola was born in Ferrara, the capital of an independent Duchy. According to another source, he was born at Occhiobello, 7 km from Ferrara. Ferrara is a city in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, capital city of the province of Ferrara. ... Country Italy Region Emilia-Romagna Province Ferrara (FE) Mayor Gaetano Sateriale (since June 13, 2004) Elevation 9 m Area 404 km² Population  - Total (as of December 31, 2004) 131,907  - Density 323/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Coordinates Gentilic Ferraresi Dialing code 0532 Postal code 44100 Frazioni Aguscello, Albarea...

In his youth he studied the Bible, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Aristotle. Savonarola initially studied at the University of Ferrara, where he appears to have taken an advanced Arts degree. His stance against morally corrupt clergy was initially manifested in his poem on the destruction of the world entitled De Ruina Mundi (On the Downfall of the World), written at the age of 20. It was at this stage that he also began to develop his moral voice, and in 1475 his poem De Ruina Ecclesiae (On the Downfall of the Church) displayed his contempt of the Roman Curia by terming it 'a false, proud whore'. For other uses, see Bible (disambiguation). ... Aquinas redirects here. ... For other uses, see Aristotle (disambiguation). ... The University of Ferrara (Università degli Studi di Ferrara) is main university of the city of Ferrara in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. ... The Roman Curia — usually called the Vatican — is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See, coordinating and providing the necessary organisation for the correct functioning of the Catholic Church and the achievement of its goals. ...

Florence

Statue of Savonarola in his birthplace, Ferrara, Italy.

Savonarola became a Dominican friar in 1475, during the Italian Renaissance, and entered the convent of San Domenico in Bologna. He immersed himself in theological study, and in 1479 transferred to the convent of Santa Maria degli Angeli. Finally in 1482 the Order dispatched him to Florence, the ‘city of his destiny’. Savonarola was lambasted for being ungainly, as well as being a poor orator. He made no impression on Florence in the 1480s, and his departure in 1487 went unnoticed. He returned to Bologna where he became 'master of studies’. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2560x1920, 1055 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Ferrara Girolamo Savonarola Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2560x1920, 1055 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Ferrara Girolamo Savonarola Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used... Ferrara is a city in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, capital city of the province of Ferrara. ... A friar is a member of a religious mendicant order of men. ... The Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 14th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe. ... For the food product, see Bologna sausage. ...

Savonarola returned to Florence in 1490 at the behest of Count Pico della Mirandola. There he began to preach passionately about the Last Days, accompanied by visions and prophetic announcements of direct communications with God and the saints. Such fiery preachings were not uncommon at the time, but a series of circumstances quickly brought Savonarola great success. The first disaster to give credibility to Savonarola’s apocalyptic message was the Medici’s family weakening grip on power due to the French-Italian wars. The flowering of expensive Renaissance art and culture paid for by wealthy Italian families now seemed to mock the growing misery in Italy, creating a backlash of resentment among the people. The second disaster was the appearance of syphilis (or the “French pox”), possibly brought back by sailors from the New World, which was a running epidemic and as deadly as the plague. Finally, the year 1500 was approaching, which brought about a mood of millennialism. In minds of many, the Last Days were impending and Savonarola was the prophet of the day. Pico della Mirandola. ... For a more general eschatological view, see eschatology The Last Judgement - Tympanum sculpture at the Abbey Church of Ste-Foy, Conques-en-Rouergue, France The end times are, in one version of Christian eschatology, a time of tribulation that will precede the Second Coming of Jesus. ... This article is about the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Saints redirects here. ... Combatants France, the Holy Roman Empire, the states of Italy (notably the Republic of Venice, the Duchy of Milan, the Kingdom of Naples, the Papal States, Florence, and the Duchy of Ferrara), England, Scotland, Spain, the Ottoman Empire, the Swiss, Saxony, and others The Italian Wars, often referred to as... This article is about the philosophical concept of Art. ... For other uses, see Culture (disambiguation). ... Syphilis is a curable sexually transmitted disease caused by the Treponema pallidum spirochete. ... Frontispiece of Peter Martyr dAnghieras De orbe novo (On the New World). Carte dAmérique, Guillaume Delisle, 1722. ... In epidemiology, an epidemic (from [[Latin language] epi- upon + demos people) is a disease that appears as new cases in a given human population, during a given period, at a rate that substantially exceeds what is expected, based on recent experience (the number of new cases in the population during... Millennialism (or chiliasm), from millennium, which literally means thousand years, is primarily a belief expressed in some Christian denominations, and literature, that there will be a Golden Age or Paradise on Earth where Christ will reign prior to the final judgment and future eternal state, primarily derived from the book...

Savonarola's banner for religious processions, displayed at his former monastery (now the Museo di San Marco), Florence.

His Church of St. Mark was always crowded to excess during his celebration of Mass and his sermons. Savonarola was not an academic theologian. He did not proclaim theological theories or difficult teachings. Instead, he preached that Christian life involved being good, practicing the virtues, rather than carrying out displays of excessive pomp and ceremonies. He did not seek to make war on the Church of Rome. Rather, he wanted to correct the transgressions of worldly popes and secularized members of the Papal Curia. A banner is a flag or other piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or other message. ... A procession (via Middle English processioun, French procession, derived from Latin, processio, itself from procedere, to go forth, advance, proceed) is, in general, an organized body of people advancing in a formal or ceremonial manner. ... This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. ... Florence (or Firenze, Florentia and Fiorenza) is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany, and of the province of Florence. ... For other uses of Mass, see Mass (disambiguation). ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A sermon is an oration by... Theology is literally rational discourse concerning God (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογος, logos, rational discourse). By extension, it also refers to the study of other religious topics. ... Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... The word theory has a number of distinct meanings in different fields of knowledge, depending on their methodologies and the context of discussion. ... Personification of virtue (Greek ἀρετή) in Celsus Library in Ephesos, Turkey Virtue (Latin virtus; Greek ) is moral excellence of a person. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The Roman Curia — usually called the Vatican — is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See, coordinating and providing the necessary organisation for the correct functioning of the Catholic Church and the achievement of its goals. ...

Lorenzo de Medici, the previous ruler of Florence and patron of many Renaissance artists, was also a former patron of Savonarola. Eventually, Lorenzo and his son Piero de Medici became targets of Savonarola’s preaching. The exact same full name was also carried by his grandson Lorenzo (1492 - 1519), Duke of Urbino, with whom he is sometimes confused. ... Florence (or Firenze, Florentia and Fiorenza) is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany, and of the province of Florence. ... Portrait of Piero de Medici by Agnolo Bronzino. ...

After Charles VIII of France invaded Florence in 1494, the ruling Medici were overthrown and Savonarola emerged as the new leader of the city, combining in himself the role of secular leader and priest. He set up a rather modern democratic republic in Florence. Characterizing it as a “Christian and religious Republic,” one of its first acts was to make sodomy, previously punishable by fine, into a capital offence. Homosexuality was previously tolerated in the city, and many homosexuals from the elite left Florence. His chief enemies were the Duke of Milan and Pope Alexander VI, who issued numerous restraints against him, all of which were ignored. Charles VIII, called the Affable (French: ; 30 June 1470 – 7 April 1498), was King of France from 1483 to his death. ... For the nice game, see Medici (nice game). ... For other uses, see Democracy (disambiguation) and Democratic Party. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... François Elluin, Sodomites provoking the wrath of God, from Le pot pourri de Loth (1781). ... FINE was created in 1998 and is an informal association of the four main Fair Trade networks: F Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) I International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) N Network of European Worldshops (NEWS!) and E European Fair Trade Association (EFTA) // The aim of FINE is to enable these... Death penalty, death sentence, and execution redirect here. ... This page lists rulers of Milan from the 13th century to the present. ... Pope Alexander VI (1 January 1431 – 18 August 1503), born Roderic Borja (Italian: Borgia), (reigned from 1492 to 1503), is the most controversial of the secular popes of the Renaissance and one whose surname became a byword for the debased standards of the papacy of that era. ...

Painting of Savonarola's execution in the Piazza della Signoria.

In 1497, he and his followers carried out the Bonfire of the Vanities. They sent boys from door to door collecting items associated with moral laxity: mirrors, cosmetics, lewd pictures, pagan books, immoral sculptures (which he wanted to be transformed into statues of the saints and modest depictions of biblical scenes), gaming tables, chess pieces, lutes and other musical instruments, fine dresses, women’s hats, and the works of immoral and ancient poets, and burnt them all in a large pile in the Piazza della Signoria of Florence.^[1] Many fine Florentine Renaissance artworks were lost in Savonarola’s notorious bonfires — including paintings by Sandro Botticelli and Michelangelo Buonarroti, which are said to have been thrown on the pyres by the artists themselves, though there are some who question this claim. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 688 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (881 × 768 pixel, file size: 178 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Hanging and burning of Girolamo Savonarola in Piazza della Signoria in Florence in 1498. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 688 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (881 × 768 pixel, file size: 178 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Hanging and burning of Girolamo Savonarola in Piazza della Signoria in Florence in 1498. ... The Piazza della Signoria is an L-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. ... Bonfire of the Vanities refers to an event on 7 February 1497 when followers of the priest Girolamo Savonarola collected and publicly burned thousands of objects in Florence, Italy, on the Shrove Tuesday festival. ... For other uses, see Bible (disambiguation). ... The Piazza della Signoria is an L-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. ... Botticelli redirects here. ... For other uses, see Michelangelo (disambiguation). ...

Florence soon became tired of Savonarola because of the city’s continual political and economic miseries, where God did not seem to intervene to come to the city's aid, and the Last Days did not seem to come about despite the city government's insistence that the Apocalypse was near to fulfillment. For a more general eschatological view, see eschatology The Last Judgement - Tympanum sculpture at the Abbey Church of Ste-Foy, Conques-en-Rouergue, France The end times are, in one version of Christian eschatology, a time of tribulation that will precede the Second Coming of Jesus. ... St. ...

During his Ascension Day sermon on May 4, 1497, bands of youths rioted, and the riot became a revolt: dancing and singing taverns reopened, and men again dared to gamble publicly. Also refers to the process of gaining Enlightenment and several meditation techniques. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A sermon is an oration by... is the 124th day of the year (125th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1497 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Teamsters, armed with pipes, riot in a clash with riot police in the Minneapolis Teamsters Strike of 1934. ...

Excommunication and execution

A plaque commemorates the site of Savonarola’s execution in the Piazza della Signoria, Florence.

On May 13, 1497, the rigorous Father Savonarola was excommunicated by Pope Alexander VI, and in 1498, Alexander demanded his arrest and execution. On April 8, a crowd attacked the Convent of San Marco; a bloody struggle ensued, during which several of Savonarola’s guards and religious supporters were killed: he surrendered along with Fra Domenico da Pescia and Fra Silvestro, his two closest associates. Savonarola was faced with charges such as heresy, uttering prophecies, sedition, and even other crimes, called religious errors by the Borgia pope. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2164x1744, 883 KB) Summary Plaque commemorating the spot where Girolamo Savonarola was executed in the Piazza Della Signoria, Florence. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2164x1744, 883 KB) Summary Plaque commemorating the spot where Girolamo Savonarola was executed in the Piazza Della Signoria, Florence. ... The Piazza della Signoria is an L-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. ... Florence (or Firenze, Florentia and Fiorenza) is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany, and of the province of Florence. ... is the 133rd day of the year (134th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1497 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community. ... Pope Alexander VI (1 January 1431 – 18 August 1503), born Roderic Borja (Italian: Borgia), (reigned from 1492 to 1503), is the most controversial of the secular popes of the Renaissance and one whose surname became a byword for the debased standards of the papacy of that era. ... For other uses, see Heresy (disambiguation). ... For prophecy in the context of revealed religions see Prophet. ... Sedition is a term of law which refers to covert conduct, such as speech and organization, that is deemed by the legal authority as tending toward insurrection against the established order. ... Borja (better known by the Italian spelling of the name, Borgia) was an influential Spanish family during the Renaissance. ...

During the next few weeks all three were tortured on the rack. All three signed confessions; the torturers spared only Savonarola’s right arm, in order that he might be able to sign his confession, which he did sometime prior to May 8. On that day he completed a written meditation on the Miserere mei, Psalm 50, entitled Infelix ego, in which he pleaded with God for mercy for his physical weakness in confessing to crimes he believed he did not commit. On the day of his execution, May 23, 1498, he was still working on another meditation, this one on Psalm 31, entitled Tristitia obsedit me.^[2] For other uses, see Torture (disambiguation). ... A torture rack in the Tower of London The rack is a term for certain physical punishment devices. ... This article is about the practice of confession in the Modern confessional in the Church of the Holy Name, Dunedin, New Zealand. ... This article should be transwikied to Wikibooks or Wikisource Psalms 51 1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. ... Girolamo Savonarola by Fra Bartolomeo, c. ... is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1498 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Display of Savonarola's monastic habit (Museo di San Marco).

On the day of his execution he was taken out to the Piazza della Signoria along with Fra Silvestro and Fra Domenico da Pescia. The three were ritually stripped of their clerical vestments, degraded as "heretics and schismatics", and given over to the secular authorities to be burned. The three were hanged in chains from a single cross; an enormous fire was lit beneath them; they were thereby executed in the same place where the "Bonfire of the Vanities" had been lit, and in the same manner that he had condemned other criminals himself during his own reign in Florence. Jacopo Nardi, who recorded the incident in his Istorie della città di Firenze, wrote that his executioner lit the flame exclaiming, “The one who wanted to burn me is now himself put to the flames.” Luca Landucci, who was present, wrote in his diary that the burning took several hours, and that the remains were several times broken apart and mixed with brushwood so that not the slightest piece could be later recovered, as the ecclesiastical authorities did not want Savonarola’s followers to have any relics for a future veneration of the rigorist preacher they considered a Saint. The ashes of the three were afterwards thrown in the Arno beside the Ponte Vecchio.^[3] St. ... The Piazza della Signoria is an L-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. ... Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the ‘catholic’ or orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. ... Covenanters battle flag. ... Jacopo Nardi (b. ... Arno River in Florence, Italy The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. ... Ponte Vecchio at night View across the bridge. ...

Niccolò Machiavelli, author of The Prince, also witnessed and wrote about the execution. The Medici subsequently regained control of Florence. Machiavelli redirects here. ... This article is about the book by Niccolò Machiavelli. ...

Character and influence

His religious actions have been compared to those of the later 17th and 18th century Jansenists, although theologically many differences exist. Savonarola did not produce a theological doctrine on salvation, and faithfully adhered to even minor theological definitions of the papal Magisterium. However Savonarola's call to simplicity in church interior and his rigorous moral stances have been compared to those of Jansenists. Also the insistence on the immediate danger of hell and the fewness of the elect can be considered to be a similarity. Jansenism was a branch of Catholic thought tracing itself back to Cornelius Otto Jansen (1585 – 1638), a Flemish theologian. ... In the several centuries following the founding of Christianity, five particular cities and centers of Christianity were considered to be Apostolic Sees. ... This article is about the theological or philosophical afterlife. ...

After Savonarola's death, a secret Catholic group known as the Piagnoni sprang up in Florence to preserve his memory, organized into a sort of Catholic guild. Franciscan Friars were prominent among the Piagnoni, and they briefly re-appeared in 1527 when they once again overthrew the Medici, but through intervention of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation it was brought to an end in 1530 at the Battle of Gavinana and the Medici were restored to power. The Holy Roman Empire should not be mistaken for the Roman Empire (31 B.C.–A.D. 476). ... Combatants Holy Roman Empire Florence Commanders Philibert of Châlon†, Fabrizio Maramaldo Francesco Ferruccio† Strength Casualties The Battle of Gavinana was fought on August 3, 1530 between the city of Florence and the forces of the Holy Roman Empire. ...

Savonarola left many admirers throughout Europe, in particular among religiously pious humanists who valued his deep spiritual convictions. Erasmus, who refused to become a Protestant is said to have remained Catholic due to the lecture of Savonarola. Desiderius Erasmus in 1523 Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (also Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam) (October 27, probably 1466 – July 12, 1536) was a Dutch humanist and theologian. ... Topics in Christianity Preaching Prayer Ecumenism Relation to other religions Movements Music Liturgy Calendar Symbols Art Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Protestantism encompasses the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated with the doctrines of the Reformation. ...

In the twentieth century, a movement for the canonization of Frà Savonarola began to develop within the Roman Catholic Church, particularly among Dominicans, with many judging his excommunication and execution to have been unjust. His potential beatification and canonization is opposed by many Jesuits, who consider Savonarola's (secular) conflict with the papacy to have been an intolerable crime.^[4] This article is about the process of declaring saints. ... Catholic Church redirects here. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Seal of the Society of Jesus. ... The Pope is the Catholic Bishop and patriarch of Rome, and head of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches. ...

Notes

References

• Deeper Experiences of Famous Christians, James Lawson, Warner Press, 1911, pp. 73–84.
• Bonfire Songs: Savonarola's Musical Legacy (1998), Patrick Macey, Clarendon Press, Oxford
• New York Times, Savonarola, Second Lecture of the Course by Dr. Lord at Association Hall, January 10, 1871, pp. 2–3.
• Joachim Weinhardt, Savonarola als Apologet. Der Versuch einer empirischen Begründung des christlichen Glaubens in der Zeit der Renaissance (Berlin–New York: Walter de Gruyter, 2003), Pp. xi+296 (Arbeiten zur Kirchengeschichte, 83.)

The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ...

Further reading

• Life and Times of Girolamo Savonarola in IV volumes (1888) by Pasquale Villari
• Scourge and Fire: Savonarola and Renaissance Florence (2006) by Lauro Martines, ISBN 0224072528
• Savonarola and Florence (1970) by Donald Weinstein
• The Life of Girolamo Savonarola (1959) by Roberto Ridolfi
• The Meddlesome Friar (1957) by Michael de la Bedoyere
• Savonarola (1930) by Piero Misciattelli (trans. by M. Peters-Roberts)
• Savonarola: A Biography in Dramatic Episodes (1927) by William Van Wyck. (A play.)
• The Renaissance (1953) by Will Durant
• The Florentine Monk (1869) by Charles Spurgeon
• The history of the popes, from the close of the Middle Ages : drawn from the secret archives of the Vatican and other original sources, 40 vols. (1891) by Ludwig von Pastor. See vol. V, 171ff., Corruption of the Italian Clergy of all Ranks, and 181ff., Fra Girolama Savonarola.
• Savonarola: his Contest with Paganism (1851) by Orestes Brownson

Pasquale Villari (1826-1917), was an Italian historian and politician. ... Roberto di Ridolfi or Ridolfo (1531-1612) was an Italian conspirator, who belonged to a famous family of Florence, where he was born on the 18th of November 1531. ... Will Durant William James Durant (November 5, 1885–November 7, 1981) was an American philosopher, historian, and writer. ... Charles Haddon Spurgeon, commonly C.H. Spurgeon, (June 19, 1834 – January 31, 1892) was a British Reformed Baptist preacher who remains highly influential amongst Christians of different denominations, among whom he is still known as the Prince of Preachers. ... The Vatican Secret Archives (Latin: Archivum Secretum Apostolicum Vaticanum), located in Vatican City, is the central repository for all of the acts promulgated by the Holy See. ... Ludwig Pastor, created Freiherr von Campersfelden, (January 31, 1854, Aachen – September 30, 1928, Innsbruck), was the great Catholic historian of the Papacy, who published his Geschichte der Päpste seit dem Ausgang des Mittelalters in sixteen volumes that appeared from 1886 to a last posthumous volume in 1933. ...

Fictionalizations

• The novel Romola by George Eliot features Savonarola as a central character.
• The novel The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason makes extensive references to Savonarola.
• The novel The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant makes extensive references to Savonarola.
• In Natahan Combs' The Burning of Girolamo Savonarola 2006 film, Savonarola deplores the way history has treated him and his legacy. Includes a reenactment of the Bonfire of the Vanities.
• Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's The Palace, a novel of the Comte st. Germain, features Savonarola and his Bonfire of the Vanities
• The novel I, Mona Lisa by Jeanne Kalogridis also features Savonarola as a central character.
• The Secret Book of Grazia dei Rossi, by Jacqueline Park, features Savonarola as a rather menacing character.
• The novel The Jamais Vu Papers, by Wim Coleman and Pat Perrin, features Savonarola as a character in the dream world, perpetually burning, and father to scientist Imogene Savonarola.
• The short story, "Savonarola Brown" by Max Beerbohm features a spoof play about Savonarola.
• The novel The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone describes Michelangelo's brother as a later-regretful disciple of Savonarola and the effect of Savonarola on the Medici family. It also describes how Savonarola was eventually assassinated and hung upside down a la Mussolini.
• The novel The Magus by John Fowles refers to Savonarola's confinement prior to his execution, "Sometimes rooms seem to imbibe the spirit of the people who have lived in them- think of Savonarola's cell in Florence".
• The play, Bonfires and Vanities, by Candida Cave features the struggle between Savonarola, Lorenzo de'Medici and Pope Alexander Vl.

Romola is a novel by George Eliot, deemed her greatest by many, being a deep study of life in the city of Florence from an intellectual, artistic, religious, and social point of view. ... Mary Ann (Marian) Evans (22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880), better known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist. ... The Rule of Four is a novel written by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason, and published in 2004. ... Ian Caldwell was a Phi Beta Kappa in history at Princeton University. ... Dustin Thomason is a writer who studied anthropology and medicine at Harvard University. ... Birth of Venus is a book by Sarah Dunant, a bestselling British author. ... Sarah Dunant is the author of many international bestsellers, most recently The Birth of Venus and In the company of the courtesan. ... Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (born September 15, 1942) is a professional writer. ... The Count Saint-Germain is a fictional character from a series of novels written by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. ... Max Beerbohm by William Rothenstein, 1893 Sir Henry Maximilian Beerbohm (August 24, 1872 - May 20, 1956) was an English parodist and caricaturist. ... The Agony and the Ecstasy is a biographical novel about Michelangelo Buonarroti written by Irving Stone. ... Irving Stone (July 14, 1903 – August 26, 1989) was an American writer known for his biographical novels of famous historical personalities. ... Girolamo Savonarola by Fra Bartolomeo, ca 1498 Girolamo Savonarola (September 21, 1452–May 23, 1498), also translated as Jerome Savonarola or Hieronymous Savonarola, was a Dominican priest and, briefly, ruler of Florence, who was known for religious reformation and anti-Renaissance preaching and his book burning and destruction of art. ... Girolamo Savonarola by Fra Bartolomeo, ca 1498 Girolamo Savonarola (September 21, 1452–May 23, 1498), also translated as Jerome Savonarola or Hieronymous Savonarola, was a Dominican priest and, briefly, ruler of Florence, who was known for religious reformation and anti-Renaissance preaching and his book burning and destruction of art. ... For the nice game, see Medici (nice game). ... Girolamo Savonarola by Fra Bartolomeo, ca 1498 Girolamo Savonarola (September 21, 1452–May 23, 1498), also translated as Jerome Savonarola or Hieronymous Savonarola, was a Dominican priest and, briefly, ruler of Florence, who was known for religious reformation and anti-Renaissance preaching and his book burning and destruction of art. ... Benito Mussolini created a fascist state through the use of propaganda, total control of the media and disassembly of the working democratic government. ... The Magus (1801) is a handbook on occult and magic by Francis Barrett. ... John Robert Fowles John Robert Fowles (March 31, 1926 – November 5, 2005) was an English novelist and essayist. ...

External links

• Catholic Encyclopedia entry on Girolamo Savonarola
• NNDB entry on Girolamo Savonarola