Giorlamo Savonarola 1452 98 Early Life n n

Giorlamo Savonarola (1452 -98)

Early Life n n n n Born 1452 Ferrara 1474 entered Dominican Order, Bologna 1482 Priory of San Marco 1491 Prior of San Marco 1495 Summoned to Rome by Pope Alexander VI 1497 Excommunicated 1498 Hanged as schismatic & heretic Florence

Convent of San Marco

Dominican Order n n n 1220 Order founded by St. Dominic (11701221) Corporate poverty until 1475 Friars Preachers Aristotle & Aquinas Rivals: Jesuits (1534) & Franciscans

Franciscan Order n n St. Francis (c. 11811226) Assisi, Umbria 1208 Vow of Poverty 1217 Order organized by provinces 1224 Receives “Stigmata” while on mountain retreat

Florentine Government n n Signory: gonfaloniere + priori Great Council: Upper House consiglio del comune & Lower House consiglio del popolo

Medici Rule n n Cosimo de Medici 1434 -64 Florence Merchant Banker, Patron of Artists Fra Angelico (13871455) & San Marco Donatello (1386 -1466)

Florentine Politics n n n Lorenzo de Medici (1449 -1492) Ruler of Florence (1469 -1492) Patron of artists, poets: Michelangelo; Botticelli (1444 -1510) “Leading citizen of Florence”

Lorenzo de Medici

Lorenzo’s Florence n n n Pico della Mirandola (1463 -1494) Attempted to reconcile Plato and Aristotle 1486 Oration on the Dignity of Man Friend of Lorenzo & Savonarola

Bonfire of the Vanities Sandro Bottecelli (1444/51510) n Pre vs. Post Savonarola & Bonfire of the Vanities 1496 “And if a volume of Boccaccio or …even some of Botticelli’s or Bartolommeo’s academical studies —got into the mass here and there, I do not suppose any great harm was done” (Oliphant 302). n

Bonfire of the Vanities n n n Organization of Florentine youth Monti della Pietà 1496 First of two Bonfires

Botticelli’s Periods

Lorenzo and Savonarola n n Lorenzo’s overture to Savonarola’s demands n n n Faith Return of acquisitions Restoration of freedom to Florentines

Piero de Medici vs. Charles VIII n n Piero’s rule (14921494) Capitulates to Charles VIII 1494 Return of Medici family 1537 Savonarola’s meeting with Charles VIII

Savonarola’s Rule n n n 1494 -1498 Theocracy vs. Republic Consiglio Maggiore (Great Council) Ottanta Signoria Savonarola’s Reforms

The Prophet n n n Preaching in Duomo (1491 -96) “The sword of the Lord will come upon the earth swiftly and soon. ” “Savonarola!-Was he hypocritical imposter?

Dante in Duomo

The Prophet “Self-deluded Fanatic? Holy, single-minded Christian preacher? Heaven-commissioned prophet? Wonder-working saint? Martyr, only wanting the canonization which was his due? Was he turbulent, priestly demagogue…or a courageous and enlightened lover of liberty…. ” (H. H. Milman, Quarterly Review 1856)

Savonarola vs. Pope Alexander VI n n n Aug. 1492 -1503 Achieved office by simony 1495 Pope offers cardinalship “I want no other red hat but that of martyrdom, reddened by my own blood. ” (Savonarola)

Pope vs. Savonarola n n n June 1497 Savonarola excommunicated Christmas 1497 preaches in Duomo “In the primitive church the chalices were of wood and the prelates were of gold; today the prelates are of wood and the chalices are of gold. ”

Florentine Factions n n n Piagnoni: Savonarola’s supporters Compagnacci: Wicked Companions Arrabbiati: Anti. Savonarola

Ordeal By Fire n n n Dominicans vs. Franciscans April 7, 1498 Fra Domenico Siege of San Marco Signoria’s decision

Torture and Execution n n Assault on San Marco, Palm Sunday 1498 Fra Silvestro, Fra Domenico, Savonarola captured Council of Seventeen Recantation

Torture and Execution n …women lack experience, are poor in judgment, fickle, and very weak, susceptible to vanity, and thus easily fooled by diabolical cunning (Apocalyptic Spirituality)

Torture and Execution n Then the hand lowered the sword toward the earth and soon the air was seen to be darkened with dense clouds. It rained swords and hailstones with dreadfulsounding thunder, as well as arrows and bolts of fire. (Apocalyptic Spirituality)

Execution: May 23, 1498 n n n Last night “From the Church militant, yes; but from the Church triumphant, no…. ” Piazza della Signoria

Memorials of Savonarola

Oliphant’s Savonarola n n The Makers of Florence: Dante, Giotto, Savonarola and Their City (1892) “Girolamo Savonarola in 1498…died disappointed, looking vainly, straining wistful eyes to the last, for a miracle which never came. ”

Oliphant’s Savonarola “One can imagine the great voice…lighting up a glow of passionate feeling in all those responsive gleaming eyes—coming out of the dark circle under the dome, and resounding over the heads of the crowd which filled the nave” (259).

Oliphant’s Savonarola “…how the bishop who unfrocked Savonarola, trembling and confused by his office, declared him to be separated from the Church militant and triumphant; but was corrected by the calm victim who said…’From the Church militant, yes; but from the Church triumphant, no; that is not yours to do’…” (347).

Oliphant’s Savonarola “Even in the city of Dante, no greater figure has its dwelling. The shadow of him lies still across those sunny squares and the streets through which in triumph and in agony he went upon his lofty way; and consecrates alike the little cell in San Marco and the little prison in the tower, and the great hall built for his great Council, which in a beautiful poetical justice received the first Italian parliament, a greater Council still” (349).

Stowe’s Savonarola n Agnes of Sorrento (1862) “His head and face, like those of most of the men of genius whom modern Italy has produced, were so strongly cast in the antique mould as to have no doubt of the identity of modern Italian blood with that of the great men of ancient Italy. ”

Eliot’s Savonarola Romola (1863) “…he had the greatness n which belongs to a life spent in struggling against powerful wrong, and in trying to raise men to the highest deeds they are capable of. ”

E. Browning’s Savonarola “Savonarola, who, while Peter sank With his whole boat-load, called courageously ‘Wake Christ, wake Christ!’—who, having tried the tank Of old church-waters used for baptistry Ere Luther came to spill them, said they stank!” (“Casa Guidi Windows, ” ll. 266 -70) 1851 n

Protestant vs. Catholic Savonarola n n n Martin Luther (14831510) Bible vs. Sacraments 95 Theses (1517) 1521 Excommunicated

Landor’s Savonarola “An Imaginary Conversation” (1860) “Dante lies in his tomb at Ravenna, but his spirit will return to your city, and reanimate a people half extinct. ” n

Savonarola and the Artists The Botticelli legend (Vasari’s Lives of the Artists 1550) “Botticelli was a follower of Savonarola’s, and this was why he gave up painting and then fell into considerable distress as he had no other source of income. ” n

Savonarola and the Artists n Fra Bartolomeo (14721517) Burned early paintings after conversion to Savonarola’s preachings 1500: Monk at San Marco

Savonarola and the Artists n Ghirlandaio (1449 -94) n The Last Supper (Refectory, Convent of San Marco)

Savonarola and the Artists n n Fra Angelico (13871455) Dominican friar: Frescoes of San Marco

Fra Angelico’s San Marco

Fra Angelico’s San Marco

Savonarola’s Writings n n n Sermons Prophecies Meditations Compendium of Revelations (1495) Verity of Faith

Verity of Faith n …there being therefore in man a combination of these two degrees of the rational and brute life, and the rational being far more excellent of the two, it must needs follow that man is more perfect who addicts himself to a rational life, than he who gives himself over to the life of brutes….

Verity of Faith n …hence it is that the life and powers of the soul of man become more perfect, the more it refrains from corporal objects, and employs itself in the contemplation and love of spiritual things, especially of the divine Perfections.

Verity of Faith “Yea, I have experienced that when…I have insisted upon the Exposition of sacred Scripture my Auditory hath been so delighted, so illustrated, and verity appearing, so touched to the quick by Divine influence, that they have immediately reform’d their lives…renouncing all terrene delights and appetites…they have lived lives more divine than human. ”

Renovation Sermon 13 January 1494/[5] “I saw a sword over Italy, and it quivered, and Isaw angels coming who had a red cross in one hand many white stoles in the other. These angels gave this cross to be kissed to everyone who wanted it and also handed them the white stoles. ”

Renovation Sermon “The sword which quivered…is that of the king of France, which is appearing all over Italy. The angels with the red cross, the white stoles, and the chalice are the preachers who announce this scourge to you; they give you the red cross to kiss— that is, martyrdom—so that you might bear up under this scourge which has to come during the renewal of the Church. ”

Savonarola’s Critics n Burckhardt’s The Civilization of the Renaissance (1860) n n n Narrow Intellect Theocratic Medieval vs. Renaissance

Savonarola and Pope Alexander VI Letter from Pope A. to S. (21 July 1495) “…since people have recently related to us that you subsequently have said in public sermons that those things which you announce are to come you say not from yourself or from human wisdom but by divine revelation…we exhort and command by virtue of holy obedience that you come to us as soon as possible. ”

Savonarola and Pope Alexander VI Savonarola to Pope Alexander (31 July 1495) “Therefore, I, who desire now to visit Rome, which I have never seen, so that I might be able to venerate at firsthand the dwelling of the Apostles Peter and Paul and the relics of the other saints and Your Beatitude, I am now inflamed with greater desire on account of the command of Your Holiness…. ”

Savonarola and Pope Alexander VI “Nevertheless, because many things stand in the way, I shall attempt to set forth reasonable causes to you, so that you will know that I am detained by necessity, not by my will, so that I cannot appear in your presence, although I have received your commands most readily and reverently” (Savonarola to Pope A, 31 July 1495).

Savonarola and Pope Alexander VI to Brothers of Santa Croce (8 Sept. 1495) “Moreover, [Savonarola asserts] that Christ Jesus crucified and God lie if he lies (indeed, a horrifying and execrable kind of adjuration), that anyone not believing his vain assertions puts himself outside the state of salvation; finally, he does, says, and writes other things no less improper, which, if they are passed over unpunished, there is nothing that the boldness of false religious will not dare…. ”

Piagnoni vs. Arrabbiati n n n Weinstein on pro and anti-Savonarolan factions Jesuits vs. Dominicans re: canonization Protestants vs. Catholics

Savonarola & Giordano Bruno 1548 -1600

Savonarola’s Legacy