Portret van Girolamo Savonarola 1572 - 1662

This print portrays Girolamo Savonarola and was made by an anonymous artist. Savonarola was an Italian Dominican friar active in Renaissance Florence. He was later excommunicated by the Pope and executed as a heretic. The image is a potent reminder of the religious and political conflicts of 15th-century Italy. As a vocal critic of clerical corruption, Savonarola sought to reform the Catholic Church and return Florence to a purer state of piety, organizing public "bonfires of the vanities" where Florentines were encouraged to burn objects associated with vanity. The institutional and cultural context in which Savonarola operated was one of profound social and spiritual crisis, exacerbated by the corruption of the Church. His story reveals the tensions between religious conviction, political power, and institutional authority in the Renaissance era. By consulting historical archives and theological treatises, we can continue to understand the complex social and religious landscape that shaped Savonarola’s life.