Savonarolo was born in Ferrara in Northern Italy into a highly respected family, he took up studying many sources such as the Bible and Aristotle and studied at the University of Ferrara where he took an Arts degree. By the age of twenty he had already written a number of poems including 'On the Downfall of the World' and due to his expression of a corrupt clergy 'On the Downfall of the Church'.
He went on to become a Dominican friar in 1475 and joined a monastery in Bologna before transferring to Florence, he did return however to further his studies and become a master. Upon his return to Florence, he seemed as if a new person, he became obsessed with preaching about the Last days (end times) and made statements about visions and prophecies. He did not want to break away from the Catholic church but rather to fix the corruption from within. When some of his major predictions came true, it elevated him to great success, resulting in him becoming the new leader of Florence in 1494.
Once in power, he declared it a new Christian republic and set about to change the laws including forcing homosexuals from the city and burning books, art-works, statues, mirrors and anything that was morally questionable.
In 1497,
Pope Alexander VI excommunicated him and the next year demanded the arrest and execution of Savonarolo. A crowd attacked his Convent, his supporters and guards killed, and
he was charged with heresy, prophecy, sedition and other crimes called religious errors. He was viciously tortured, they inflicted pain on his whole body except his writing arm, so that he could sign a confession which he eventually did, although later he sought forgiveness from God for confessing to something he did not do. He was then taken out to where he had burnt the books, where he was burnt alive to the point where there was nothing left but dust.
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