May 23 1498 Girolamo Savonarola example essay topic

Girolamo Savonarola, 1452-1498 Daniel 8 a Girolamo Savonarola was born on September 21 1452 AD in Ferrara, Italy. Thanks to his families' wealth, he got a good education. In 1475 Girolamo joined a Dominican monastery for seven years. He had to leave his home secretly because his parents would not have approved of it.

They wanted Girolamo to study medicine and philosophy. In his younger years in the monastery, he saw visions. One of his letters to his father included this: "And now the Prince of princes calls me with a loud voice, even prays me, O great love! with a thousand tears, to gird a sword on my side, and wishes to place me among His knights-militant. Fight! ". Later, he went to San Marco, a Florentine Dominican house where he started to preach the Bible in 1481.

Later, he became the abbot of San Marco. Thanks to Savonarola's preaching and his powerful sermons he became enormously popular with the common people. Because of his popularity, he was elected to be the city manager. By many Girolamo was hailed as an inspired prophet. He said that the two things he loved the most, were "liberty and peace". Girolamo also said that he was not able to be calm with all the evil that was going on in the world.

During his sermons, Girolamo spoke about the sins of the church and the Pope. He also made predictions many of which, like the death date of Pope Innocent V, came true. Pope Alexander VI offered Girolamo a cardinal's position if he would quit preaching the Bible and exposing the sins of the Vatican. However, he refused the "red hat" of the cardinal and replied, "I'll take a 'red hat' of blood". He became the spiritual ruler of Florence after he overthrew his enemy Lorenzo de' Medici (the ruler of Florence) in 1494. When Charles V of France invaded Italy the same year (as Savonarola had predicted), Savonarola supported him, hoping that Charles would change the corrupt court of Pope Alexander VI and start a democratic government in Florence.

The French, however were soon forced to leave. Starting from 1493, Girolamo Savonarola talked about Pope Alexander VI and about the malice of many members of the Roman Curia with growing aggression. He called the pope a monster and a devil. On February seventh, 1497, Savonarola and his followers collected all musical instruments, books, art and gambling tables in Florence and burned them in a huge "bonfire of the vanities". Later in 1498 the second "bonfire of the vanities" led to riots.

In the next election De Medici party came into power again. In 1497 Pope Alexander VI ordered Savonarola to stop preaching. Savonarola however ignored the demand and was excommunicated from the Catholic Church for disobedience. He was viciously persecuted, imprisoned and tortured. On May 23 1498 Girolamo Savonarola was sentenced to death by the papal commissioners. He was hanged and burned along with two Dominican disciples.

Before dying he said, "Rome will not quench this fire... .".