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Dromo's Den
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[Up] [Dromo's Den] Girolamo Savonarola Biography SAVONAROLA, Girolamo, eminent reformer and statesman, born at Ferrara, Italy, Sept. 21, 1452; died May 23, 1498. [see Reformation] He descended from a noble family, received early instruction under efficient tutors at home, and in 1474 was sent to Bologna, where he entered the Dominican Order. After studying Greek philosophy and theology, he was sent to St. Mark's Convent at Florence, and began to preach there in 1482. Though spiritually strong, he possessed a harsh and unpleasant voice, which caused his lectures to be poorly attended. Soon after he was sent to the convent at Brescia, where he overcame his former defects and attained such fame as a preacher and theologian that he was recalled, to Florence in 1489, where he became prior of St. Mark's in 1491. His sermons were directed against the vices and luxuries practiced by the wealthy at Florence and he foretold that desolation would be spread in Italy by the invasion of foreign enemies, a prediction verified in 1494 by the entrance into Italy of Charles VIII. of France. At that time Savonarola was favored by both the government and the church, and his eminent ability led the pope to appoint him vicar-general of the Dominican monks in 1493. In that capacity he labored successfully to make the order better and purer. As he was dissatisfied with the aristocratic government of Florence under the Medici family, he welcomed the French under Charles VIII. when invading Italy, and joined a committee to invite him to Florence. The city soon fell under the attacks of the French, and when the army of France was compelled to withdraw from Italy Savonarola organized a republic, which was governed by two councils and a signory. Though he held no office, he was in fact the most potent influence in the new government. Not content with reforming Florence, he began to organize a crusade to revolutionize the Roman court and to place the clergy on a more satisfactory basis. He wrote the Christian princes with the view of securing their assistance, charging that the church was corrupt, and suggesting to them that a general council should be convoked to secure relief from oppressive practices. While the followers of Savonarola looked upon him as a prophet, the church became arrayed against him, and at length Pope Alexander VI. excommunicated him by issuing a bull. This was read in the Florence cathedral in 1497, and Francesco di Pugli, a Franciscan friar, publicly denounced him. Difficulties began to deepen, both in the church and government, and finally the ordeal of fire was agreed upon to test the truth of the pretentions of Savonarola as to having divine power. A disagreement caused the plan of carrying out the ordeal to fail, and he withdrew to St. Mark's Convent, where he was arrested by a mob and cast into prison. In the meantime the city government passed to those opposed to Savonarola. Thus deserted by church and state: he was put through a mock trial with torture and condemned to die as a heretic. He and two other Dominicans, named Silvestro Maruffi and Domenico Buonvicini, were strangled at Florence on May 23, 1498, and the bodies were burned. Writers generally agree that Savonarola was a man of remarkable genius, and an enthusiastic and devoted reformer. His writings are very numerous, both in the Latin and Italian, the principal works embracing "Simplicity of the Human Soul;" "Perfection of the Spiritual Life;" "Triumph of the Cross;" "Treatise on Humility;" "Mysteries of the Mass;" "State of Widowhood," and "Love of Jesus Christ." The Teachers' and Pupils' Cyclopędia, Vol. IV (Kansas City: Bufton Book Co., 1909) 1681. |