Girolamo Savonarola

Girolamo Savonarola was an Italian Dominican friar and preacher active in Renaissance Florence. He was known for his prophecies of civic glory, the destruction of secular art and culture, and his calls for Christian renewal. He denounced clerical corruption, despotic rule and the exploitation of the poor. He prophesied the coming of a biblical flood and a new Cyrus from the north who would reform the Church. In September 1494, when Charles VIII of France invaded Italy and threatened Florence, such prophesies seemed on the verge of fulfillment. While Savonarola intervened with the French king, the Florentines expelled the ruling Medici and, at the friars urging, established a popular republic. Declaring that Florence would be the New Jerusalem, the world center of Christianity and richer, more powerful, more glorious than ever, he instituted an extreme puritanical campaign, enlisting the active help of Florentine youth.

Savonarola was born on September 21, 1452, in Ferrara. His grandfather, Michele Savonarola, was a noted physician and polymath who later helped Girolamo on his way to acquiring a master of arts degree at the University of Ferrara. Savonarolas mother Elena claimed a lineage from the Bonacossi family of Mantua. She and her husband Niccolo had seven children, of whom Girolamo was third. His grandfather was a very successful physician who oversaw his education. His family had amassed in his grandfathers footsteps. At some point, however, he abandoned his career intentions.

Source: Wikipedia