Girolamo Savonarola, + 23 May 1498

On this day in 1498 the 'infamous' firebrand Girolamo Savonarola was executed in Florence by hanging; his body was burned. Was he guilty of pride, as Cardinal Newman suggests? Did he distinguish sufficiently between the office of the pope as successor of St. Peter and the office of the pope as temporal ruler? It does seem that he was guilty of disobedience; and he did denounce the pope. Yet no one can deny his zeal for reform and a more pure Christian way of life.

Portrait of Girolamo Savonarolac. 1498Oil on wood, 47 x 31 cmMuseo di San Marco, Florence

I recently bought the book Fire in the City by Lauro Martines ; I hope it doesn't disappoint, nor say anything derogatory about the Church or false about Christianity. I would like to learn more about the politics of the period, especially when it comes to questions of subsidiarity, independence, and sovereignty.

This might also be worth a look: Selected Writings of Girolamo Savonarola : Religion and Politics, 1490-1498 (Italian Literature and Thought). As far as I know, Savonarola was orthodox in his Christianity; it would be interesting to see what sort of spirituality he embodies. He was supposedly an influence on St. Philip Neri.

Girolamo Savonarola O.P, A Sermon on the Lord's Prayer, January 11, 1495

SAVONAROLA, PREACHER AND PROPHET, by Henri Daniel-Rops (from The Protestant Reformation)
Pt 1, Pt 2

Catholic Encyclopedia entry