[MR] History Blog: Savonarola Bust Goes on Display

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

Today the History Blog feature is about a terracotta bust of Fra Girolamo
Savonarola, the Dominican friar who caused a major stir in the Catholic
Church during the late 15th century. The bust is currently on display at
the Convent of San Marco, Florence, in what is believed to have been his
monastic cell.

The piece was made by Fra Mattia, who knew Savonarola personally, and is
considered to be accurate. It is currently displayed alongside Fra
Bartolomeo's famous portrait of Savonarola.

The History Blog story is at http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/62973 .

But who was Fra Savonarola? Well, Wikipedia can answer part of that
historically, but who he "really" was depends on one's viewpoint. He is/was
seen as a heretic, fraud, populist revolutionary, proto-Protestant and
martyr. Take your pick, because all were true in one way or another.

Savonarola (1452-1498) was a popular preacher and prophet in Florence
during the time when the city's residents had pitched out their Medici
rulers and were trying to set up a republic. He denounced corruption,
despotism and exploitation of the poor. Savonarola called for what was
essentially a fundamentalist revival of the Church, and . . . uh . . .
sparked the infamous "bonfire of the vanities" movement, where all sorts of
art, books, and objects deemed "un-Christian" were publicly burned. He also
denounced the Borgia Pope Alexander VI. Probably justified, but a
very unwise move.

Eventually Savonarola was excommunicated by the Pope for heresy and
sedition. Florence was threatened with an inderdict for harboring the
heretic. Savonarola and three followers were arrested by the civic
authorities after he publicly promised to display a miracle through a trial
by fire. Instead, his big show was rained out. In prison Savonarola
recanted some of his prophecies, but it did no good. On 23 May 1498, he and
two followers were publicly hanged and their bodies burned. The ashes were
dumped into the River Arno to prevent Savonarola's followers from
recovering "holy relics".

Savonarola's movement continued to pop up from time to time in Florence. In
1530 a Medici Pope, Clement VII, finally sent in troops to clean out the
last of Savonarola's followers, and Medici civil rule was restored.

Savonarola was a prolific writer, and many of his works are still approved
by the Church. His reputation has been rehabilitated, and he is now
considered a martyr by many. Ah, how fortunes can change!

The Wikipedia article is at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girolamo_Savonarola .

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆