author
Girolamo Savonarola
1452–1498
A fiery Dominican preacher who shook Renaissance Florence, he became famous for calling for moral reform and condemning corruption in both church and civic life. His dramatic rise and violent fall have made him one of the most debated religious figures of the 15th century.
1 Audiobook
The triumph of the cross
by Girolamo Savonarola
About the author
Born in Ferrara on September 21, 1452, Girolamo Savonarola joined the Dominican order and later became a powerful preacher in Florence. He was known for intense sermons that attacked luxury, vice, and what he saw as moral decay, winning devoted followers as well as determined enemies.
After the Medici were driven from Florence in 1494, Savonarola became a major force in the city's public life and supported the creation of a more broadly based republic. He pushed for strict moral reform and is especially remembered for the "Bonfire of the Vanities," associated with the destruction of objects seen as sinful or corrupting.
His growing influence brought him into conflict with Pope Alexander VI and with powerful Florentine opponents. Excommunicated, arrested, and tried in 1498, he was executed in Florence on May 23 of that year. Even after his death, his life continued to fascinate historians, theologians, and readers interested in the uneasy meeting of faith, politics, and the Renaissance.