SAVONAROLA, GIROLAMO

born Sept. 21, 1452, Ferrara, Duchy of Ferrara died May 23, 1498, Florence Italian Christian preacher, reformer, and martyr, renowned for his clash with tyrannical rulers and a corrupt clergy. After the overthrow of the Medici in 1494, Savonarola was the sole leader of Florence, setting up a democratic republic. His chief enemies were the Duke of Milan and Pope Alexander VI, who issued numerous restraints against him, all of which were ignored. Additional reading Pasquale Villari, Life and Times of Girolamo Savonarola (1888, reissued 1972), remains a classic. A historical essay on Savonarola by a 19th-century social philosopher is found in Arthur Gobineau, The Golden Flower (1924, reprinted 1968). See also Ralph Roeder, The Man of the Renaissance: Four Lawgivers: Savonarola, Machiavelli, Castiglione, Aretino (1933, reprinted 1977), for a skillful characterization. Roberto Ridolfi, The Life of Girolamo Savonarola (1959, reprinted 1976), is a modern biography based on extensive documentation. Donald Weinstein, Savonarola and Florence: Prophesy and Patriotism in the Renaissance (1970), interprets the historical background of Savonarola. Ronald M. Steinberg, Fra Girolamo Savonarola, Florentine Art, and Renaissance Historiography (1977), offers a provocative revision of Savonarola's influence on contemporary art. Rachel Erlanger, The Unarmed Prophet: Savonarola in Florence (1988), is an informative if uncritical general biography.