Savonarola is executed
Shortly after Lorenzo de' Medici's death (1492), multiple misfortunes led to the collapse of Florence's power. Among these we have 1) a depleted city treasury from Lorenzo's enterprises and extravagance, 2) the competition of British textiles, which caused and economic depression in Florence, 3) the fact that the collateral branch of the Medici family began now to challenge the descendants of Cosimo, leading a party of opposition in the name of liberty, 4) the invasion of Italy by Charles VIII of France, and 5) the rise of Savonarola, who proposed to replace the Medici with Christ. This dangerous cocktail took Florence into one of history's most spectacular experiments in democracy. Savonarola's ascendency began with his denunciations of immorality, prophecies of doom, and calls to repentance (around 1489). He then captivated the imagination of the masses by predicting that Lorenzo and Innocent VIII would die in 1492; they did. Further, he predicted that the sins of Italy, of her despots and her clergy, would be avenged by a dire disaster; that thereafter Christ would lead the nation in a glorious reform; and that he himself, Savonarola, would die a violent death. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy. Early in 1494 he foretold that Charles VIII would invade Italy, and welcomed the invasion as the chastening hand of God. After freedom from Charles' invasion was negotiated, the leaders of Florence—trying to restore their independence and government—turned to Savonarola for help. Through his influence and eloquence the proposed constitution received public acclaim, and the new Republic came into operation on June 10, 1495. But it proved an uphill battle; war between the city-states destabilized the region, and the aggressive push for a theocracy won Savonarola a thousand enemies—both secular and ecclesiastic. Problems ensued and abounded: first, territories belonging to Florence were agitated by movements for liberation, then the Medicean party plotted to restore Piero. Corruption and incompetence rose and spread; crowds repeatedly demonstrated before Savonarola's monastery. To top all this, amid this bitter collapse of his dream, Savonarola made his worst mistake: he faced and defied the strongest power in Italy, the pope. As their conflict and opposition worsened, many Franciscans (supporters of the pope) began to voice their discontent with Savonarola more directly, until on March 25th 1498 a friar challenged Savonarola to walk over fire. Savonarola declined but another of his brothers agreed to. The whole spectacle was cancelled in the end but people were dismayed of how Savonarola would allow another to prove his point at the risk of death and not risk his own life. His support faded almost overnight. The next day a mob attacked Savonarola's monastery, and after some fighting, Savonarola surrendered. He was tortured and forced to sign a confused confession that he had no divine inspiration, that he had been guilty of pride and ambition, that he had urged foreign and secular powers to call a general council of the Church, and that he had plotted for the deposition of the Pope. Him and two other friars were condemned to death by the united sentence of Church and state. Alexander graciously sent them absolution—and on May 23, 1498, the parricide Republic executed its founder and his comrades. Today a plaque in the pavement marks the site of the most famous crime in Florentine history.
Source: Durant, Will. The Story of Civilization, Vol. 5: The Renaissance, A History of Civilization in Italy from the Birth of Petrarch to the Death of Titian, 1304–1576. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1953.
.jpg
)
Public Domain
Back to archive
Full disclosure, I may occasionally borrow a sentence from Will Durant's Story of Civilization. I absolutely love that collection!