Medici Lorenzo de - Death in Florence: the Medici, Savonarola, and the battle for the soul of a Renaissance city

DEATH IN FLORENCE

THE MEDICI, SAVONAROLA, AND THE BATTLE FOR THE SOUL OF A RENAISSANCE CITY

PAUL STRATHERN

PEGASUS BOOKS

NEW YORK LONDON

To my brother Mark

Contemporary portrait of Savonarola by his friend Fra Bartolomeo. Florence, Museo di San Marco. 2010. Photo Scala, Florence courtesy of the Ministero Beni e Att. Culturali.

2a. Portrait bust of Lorenzo de Medici, probably after a model by Andrea delVerrocchio and Orsini Benintendi. Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, Florence, Italy /The Bridgeman Art Library.

2b. Portrait of Piero de Medici by Angelo Bronzino (150372). Private Collection/The Bridgeman Art Gallery.

The Carta della Catena showing a panorama of Florence, 1490. Museo de Firenze Comera, Florance, Italy/Alinari/The Bridgeman Art Library.

4a. Portrait of Alexander VI. Vatican, Pinacoteca. 2010. Photo Scala, Florence.

4b. Portrait bust of Charles VIII, King of France (c.14831498). Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence. Alinari Archives, Florence.

5a. Portrait of Pico della Mirandola by Cristofano dell Altissiomo (c.15251605). Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi (Gioviani Collection). 2010. Photo Scala, Florence courtesy of the Ministero Beni e Att. Culturali.

5b. Portrait of Angelo Poliziano (14851490). Detail of a fresco of the sacrifice of the prophet Zechariah, by Domenico Ghirlandaio in the Main Chapel of the Church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. Alinari Archives, Florence.

5c. Portrait of Marsilio Ficino. 2010. White Images/Scala, Florence.

6a. Savonarola preaching. 2010. Photo Ann Ronan/Heritage Images/Scala, Florence.

6b. Self-portrait of Sandro Botticelli. Detail from Adoration of the Magi. Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi. 2010. Photo Scala, Florence courtesy of the Ministero Beni e Att. Culturali.

The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli (14451510). Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi. 2010. Photo Scala, Florence courtesy of the Ministero Beni e Att. Culturali.

Botticellis illustration to Dantes Divine Comedy c.1480. Berlin, Kupferstichkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. 2010. Photo Scala, Florence/BPK, Bildagentur fr Kunst, Kultur und Geschichte, Berlin.

Alexander VI notoriously corrupt Borgia Pope who became Savonarolas sworn enemy

Alfonso, Duke of Calabria son and heir of King Ferrante I of Naples. Would later become Alfonso II of Naples

Anne of France acted as Regent during the youth of Charles VIII

Arrabbiati the most powerful anti-Savonarola faction Bigi faction supporting return of Piero de Medici

Sandro Botticelli renowned painter and friend of Lorenzo the Magnificent

Fra Pacifico Burlamacchi wrote early biography of Savonarola, much of it heard from Savonarola himself

Piero di Gino Capponi leading Florentine citizen who famously defied Charles VIII

Cardinal Caraffi of Naples friend of Alexander VI who nonetheless supported Savonarola

Ser Ceccone (real name Francesco de Ser Barone) Savonarolas chief civil interrogator

Charles VIII the young King of France who invaded Italy

Compagnacci fanatically anti-Savonarola group led by Doffo Spini

Commines (Commynes) leading adviser of Charles VIII who kept a diary

Cardinal della Rovere sworn enemy of Alexander VI, who encouraged Charles VIII to set up a council to depose him

Bartolomeo Cerretani contemporary Florentine chronicler

Domenico da Pescia the Dominican monk who was Savonarolas closest and most loyal supporter, who followed his master to the end

Lucrezia Donati the most beautiful woman in Florence, to whom the young Lorenzo the Magnificent addressed love poems

Ferrante I King of Naples who received Lorenzo the Magnificent

Marsilio Ficino celebrated Platonist and close friend of Medici family

Francesco da Puglia a Franciscan monk from Santa Croce and a bitter enemy of Savonarola who issued the challenge for the ordeal by fire

Battista Guarino the celebrated humanist scholar whose lectures Savonarola attended at the University of Ferrara

Francesco Guicciardini contemporary historian of Florence and Italy

Fra Leonardo da Fivizzano Augustinian monk at Santo Spirito who preached in Florence against Savonarola when he was at the height of his power

Giovanni della Vecchia the Captain of the Square, responsible for keeping the peace in the Piazza della Signoria, and later at San Marco

Giovanni Manetti the Arrabbiati responsible for stirring up the crowd at the ordeal by fire, who later demanded permission to inspect Savonarola

Niccol Machiavelli contemporary historian of Florence and Italy

Fra Malatesta (Sacramoro) the Arrabbiati spy in San Marco

Domenico Mazzinghi pro-Savonarolan gonfaloniere who later argued in favour of the ordeal by fire

Fra Mariano da Genazzano the Augustinian who was Florences favourite preacher before his contest with Savonarola

Cosimo de Medici the man who built up the Medici bank, grandfather of Lorenzo the Magnificent

Giovanni de Medici second son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, who became a young cardinal

Giovanni di Pierfrancesco de Medici taken into the Palazzo Medici by his uncle Lorenzo the Magnificent as a youth when his father Pierfrancesco died.

Giuliano de Medici Lorenzo the Magnificents younger brother, who was murdered

Lorenzo de Medici (Lorenzo the Magnificent) effective ruler of Florence until 1492

Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de Medici son of Pierfrancesco de Medici. Taken into the Palazzo Medici as a youth when his father died

Lucrezia (ne Tornabuoni) de Medici Lorenzo the Magnificents influential mother

Fra Ludovico da Ferrara despatched to Florence by Alexander VI to investigate Savonarola

Fra Silvestro Maruffi monk at San Marco prone to visions who would follow Savonarola to the end

Pierfrancesco de Medici cousin of Piero de Medici and grandson of Giovanni di Bicci, the founder of the Medici bank

Piero de Medici first son of Lorenzo the Magnificent who took over his rule of Florence in 1492

Dietisalvi Neroni long-term business associate of Cosimo de Medici, who grew jealous of Piero de Medici

Clarice (ne Orsini) de Medici Lorenzo the Magnificents Roman bride

Pico della Mirandola charismatic Renaissance philosopher, befriended by Lorenzo the Magnificent, his biography was written by his nephew, Francesco Pico della Mirandola

Piero Parenti Florentine diarist during this period

Piagnoni Savonarolas supporters, mainly drawn from amongst the poor, but extending into all sections of Florentine society

Angelo Poliziano renowned poet and member of Lorenzo the Magnificents circle

Bishop Remolino finally despatched by Alexander VI to conduct Savonarolas examination

Bernardo Rucellai leading Florentine citizen sent by Lorenzo the Magnificent on delegation to persuade Savonarola to tone down his sermons; later turned against Peiro de Medici (the Unfortunate)