Girolamo Savonarola

justifiable for leaders to engage in ‘carefully calibrated uses of force in the short-term’ if it is motivated by a desire to prevent worse alternatives in the long-term such as political turmoil or civil war. Furthermore, by condemning human nature as being inherently wicked and devious, Machiavelli is ultimately led to a belief that ‘only the coercive power of the state could repress humanity’s worst instincts’. To demonstrate this phenomenon, Machiavelli in his magnum opus ‘The Prince’ refers to the onetime ruler of Florence, Girolamo Savonarola, to illustrate that tender hearted governance is often counterproductive towards achieving prosperity and freedom for society. Savonarola, who incorporated Christian values of equality and altruism into his political agenda in an attempt to purge Florence of its moral transgressions, was quickly deposed and executed after a short reign of less than four years by the ruthless Pope Alexander VI who viewed Savonarola as a dangerous rival. In Machiavelli’s opinion, the naivety of Savonarola’s approach to leadership is a clear case that shows the inability for ‘unarmed prophets’ to ‘keep steadfast those who believed or of making the unbelievers to believe’. Through stressing the significance of stability, Machiavelli rejects that morally pure leadership is desirable by claiming that sinister actors will exploit the vulnerabilities of benevolent leaders to inevitably…

stormy night in 1475, the prominent Dominican friar and reformer Girolamo Savonarola wrote to his father about the current situation that was affecting his great city of Florence. Savonarola claim of how there was great misery in the world, and how wickedness within the city was coming to a boiling point. The streets of Florence were filled with men whose pride, adulteries, idolatry, placed a vile curses upon the city, in which the world had deteriorated into such a state of chaos. Savonarola…

Pope, Alexander Borgia, for misery in Florence at the time. Making a strong claim that apocalyptic times were approaching, he gained both followers and critics. As his word spread and he gained more supporters they took on the name piagnoni or weepers. They were labeled weepers because of how they cried aloud for repentance of their sins. The Weepers believed Savonarola as a prophet because of the far-fetched predictions he made that came true. Using aggressive petrifying sermons Savonarola…

Lauro Martines Essay Everything serves a purpose but it is up to man to interpret the meaning of its purpose. The events that happened during the Renaissance are proven through various artifacts and primary accounts but every historian has their own view on what that piece of work means or shows. In Fire In The City, Lauro Martines writes about the events that unfolded in Florence, Italy during the Renaissance. He does so by following a particular character, Girolamo Savonarola. Martines…

Sandro Botticelli was an artist in Florence, Italy. His life lasted from 1445 - May 17, 1510. Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi was Sandro Botticelli’s name at birth, but was later nicknamed Botticelli as he is known by. While he was young he was apprenticed by Fra Filippo Lippi, an artist. At the start of his career as an artist, he would paint frescoes for Florentine churches and cathedrals with another artist. He had a workshop of his own by 1470. After hiring Fra Filippo Lippi’s son, Filippino…

The City of Invention has a tumultuous history with many religious and political uprisings, both large and small. It is a place ruled by those with the greatest economic influence: the Medici banking family. In 1478, the rival Pazzi family enacted a conspiracy to take the Medici family out of power. The conspiracy failed, but the Medici family was not without their losses; an assassin slew Lorenzo’s younger brother Giuliano. In 1494 Girolamo Savonarola, Dominican friar and mage lead an uprising…

history, most religions, including Christianity, exhibit rampant abuse through the actions of their hierarchy. When referring to cults, Shoemaker writes,” It is abusive in it’s way of treating people” (point ten). History proves, however, that this statement cannot be used to define any variance between the two categorizations. A prime example of this fact is shown in the relationship between Rodrigo Borgia, also known as Pope Alexander the sixth, and friar Girolamo Savonarola. The Friar is best…

rejected all thirteen. After I wrote an apology, I left for Paris, but at the pope’s request I was held back by French authorities and briefly jailed. By the summer of 1488 I was back in Fiesole as the guest of Lorenzo. Since 1483, I had a third of the income my family estates produced. I gave my Mirandola to Gianfrancesco in 1491. Gianfrancesco is my nephew who was to become an important philosopher. Even at this time, not everyone accepted my position harmoniously. Some people still hated my…

from Lippi including a certain fanciness in costuming, a linear sense of form, and a partiality to paler hues that were still visible even after Botticelli had developed his own strong color schemes (Lightbown). Botticelli’s work truly represents the spirit of the Renaissance because his paintings embody the new values of questioning authority, celebration of the individual, and focus on scholarship. Botticelli’s paintings “Primavera” and the “Birth of Venus” demonstrate the Renaissance value of…

Welcome to the Florentine political scene just shy of the 16th century. It’s 1490 and Florence is ruled by Lorenzo the Magnificent of the Medici family. Also taking the stage is a priest by name Girolamo Savonarola who is gaining popularity by spreading his ideas for a ‘christian renewal’ (tuscany-toscana.info). Lorenzo soon dies and his incompetent son, Piero Medici is left in charge. By 1494 the Medici family is sent to exile and Savonarola is in charge (pbs.org). Enter 25 year old…