Death in Florence: The Medici, Savonarola, and the Battle for the Soul of the Renaissance City

by Paul Strathern

By the end of the fifteenth century, Florence was well established as the home of the Renaissance. As generous patrons to the likes of Botticelli and Michelangelo, the ruling Medici embodied the progressive humanist spirit of the age, and in Lorenzo the Magnificent they possessed a diplomat capable of guarding the militarily weak city in a climate of constantly shifting allegiances between the major Italian powers.

However, in the form of Savonarola, an unprepossessing provincial monk, Lorenzo found his nemesis. Filled with Old Testament fury and prophecies of doom, Savonarola's sermons reverberated among a disenfranchised population, who preferred medieval Biblical certainties to the philosophical interrogations and intoxicating surface glitter of the Renaissance. Savonarola's aim was to establish a 'City of God' for his followers, a new kind of democratic state, the likes of which the world had never seen before.The battle which this provoked would be a fight to the death, a series of sensational events - invasions, trials by fire, the 'Bonfire of the Vanities', terrible executions and mysterious deaths - featuring a cast of the most important and charismatic Renaissance figures.

This famous struggle has often been portrayed as a simple clash of wills between a benign ruler and religious fanatic, between secular pluralism and repressive extremism. However, in an exhilaratingly rich and deeply researched story, Paul Strathern reveals the paradoxes, self-doubts and political compromises which made the battle for the soul of the Renaissance city one of the most complex and important moments in Western history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Italy, Renaissance, Audiobook, Historical, Biography

1 pages, MP3 CD

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Paul Strathern (born 1940) is a English writer and academic. He was born in London, and studied at Trinity College, Dublin, after which he served in the Merchant Navy over a period of two years. He then lived on a Greek island. In 1966 he travelled overland to India and the Himalayas. His novel A Season in Abyssinia won a Somerset Maugham Award in 1972.

Besides five novels, he has also written numerous books on science, philosophy, history, literature, medicine and economics.

Reviews

[Sean Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have this (probably wholly inaccurate) vision of what it would be like to kick it in Renaissance Florence—hyper-intelligent (albeit probably socially dysfunctional) dudes in brightly colored robes gallivanting and prancing about hither and thither, splashing paint on canvases, carving smoking hot (if occasionally armless) statues, throwing down mad poetry slams, sciencing like scienticians should (I’m not sure they were sciency enough to be called “scientists”), and just generally engaging in intellectual shenanigans. I’d like to hang out there, maybe spooning an endless supply of gelato into my mouth as I watch these polymaths achieve greatness on a daily basis.

So, it seems like a book that details the reign of Lorenzo de’ Medici, the patron of so many artists like Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo, and other teenage mutant ninja turtles—not to mention a fine writer in his own right (suck on that, Dante!)—would be right up my (metaphorical) alley (not my actual alley, because ouch). Especially when that book also details the rise to power of Girolamo Savonarola, a Dominican friar/preacher/profit/inspirer of names for Tom Wolfe novels, who put an end to such free-flowing creativity by zealously persecuting anyone and everyone who enjoyed things like fun, independent thought, rainbows and fluffy bunnies, and fornicating with anything willing and capable of fornicating.

But, sometimes what smells like a 5-star burger and looks like a 5-star burger turns out to be a Wendy’s burger. There’s nothing wrong with Wendy’s—I’d put it at the top end of the old-school fast food burger chain game (it’s clearly inferior to, say, BGR or Five Guys, but superior to McDonald’s and Burger King), but when you’ve got your mouth set for a juicy gourmet burger, it leaves you wanting more (or, at least, in need of the biggest Frosty you can find).

Why wasn’t this a better burger? Let’s start with style. As I like to repeat ad nauseum, when it comes to historical narrative, Joseph Ellis is a master stylist (and not of the hair variety). He elevates the material. Mr. Strathern? He serves the material. He’s fine. He’s a hamburger from Wendy’s. When I put Mr. Ellis down, I’m still thinking about how good the last chapter I read was. When I put Mr. Strathern down, I just started thinking about how much I wanted a burger.

Then there’s the material…turns out what sounds like an exciting story—religious firebrand clashes with visionary patron of the arts—is really more a story of petty corruption, small-minded prejudice, and willful ignorance. It’s the latter point that really dragged things down for me—though, to be fair, that’s hardly the author’s fault.

As I’ve gotten older (not wiser, mind you, though certainly more devastatingly handsome—if that’s even possible, given my already epic level of devastating handsomeness), my interest in the medieval/renaissance period, once insatiable, has waned somewhat, and the primary reason for that is that I can’t stand the willful ignorance so often promulgated by organized religion, particularly pre-Scientific Revolution.

This is not an anti-religion screed—I’m fully in favor of people worshipping as they see fit and have no problem with any religion, save for those which advocate violence or discrimination against other people who don’t hold the same beliefs (which, sadly, is many of them these days, it seems, if you listen to any given extremist sect, particularly those of monotheistic faiths).

Savonarola was amongst the most intellectually gifted people of his time, and his efforts on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised undoubtedly did much good, particularly in the face of such appallingly corrupt leadership within the Catholic Church. But, instead of deploying that intellectual firepower against a bulwark of ignorance erected during the Dark Ages that still loomed large, even as the Renaissance blossomed, he channeled his talents toward such austere and sanctimonious measures of reform that he threatened to derail no less than the advancement of human society, and this in the heart of a city known far and wide as a beacon of enlightened thought. That may seem a trifle melodramatic, and perhaps it is (I’ve never been one for understatement or restraint, as I believe that hyperbole is the best and most effective method ever invented for accomplishing anything anywhere ever), but if so, it’s not far off the mark. Savonarola’s reign ended with his very public and very painful execution (well, one assumes that hanging and nearly being consumed by flames is painful, though I cannot, fortunately, speak from experience…not yet, anyway), brought down by his enemies both within the church and without. It wasn’t justice—executions rarely bring that—but it did bring to a close a disappointing, destructive, and dismal chapter in Florentinian history, one that followed on the heels of perhaps its most glorious.

I’m still not quite sure how this book didn’t light me up like Savonarola on the scaffold (ooh…too soon?). Alas. It’s a solid read, though, and worth checking out if this is a period of history of particular interest.

[Justin Evans · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a reasonable airplane history, but the book's virtues come mostly from its subject matter: it's hard to lack narrative oomph when your subjects are the rise and fall of the Medici and the rise and fall of Savonarola. If the little friar wasn't so vilified in the English speaking world, I imagine there'd be two or three Hollywood extravaganzas about him already.

That said, there are some things an author can control, and Strathern does not control them. The prose is reasonably easy to read, but that doesn't mean it's 'crisp' or 'skillful' or has 'verve.' His editor should probably be fired, or perhaps just lose a paycheck for each time Strathern uses the word 'indicatively' before not explaining what, precisely, the following clauses are meant to indicate ("Hardly consoling words for the brother of a man under sentence of death, and indicatively offering no hope of reprieve." What?). Such ticks aside, Strathern favors cliche, bombast, the popular historian's tropes of 'x must have done y' and 'x certainly would have felt z'. He relishes (a very Strathernian word) unnecessary detail: it's never enough to know that someone walked from point a to point b; we must also know how the cobblestones 'must have' felt beneath his feet.

But the real problems come with Strathern's attitude towards history. He seems to have decided that this story is about a reactionary, foolish priest and a glorious if slightly sinister modernising family who loves Science and Art and all that good stuff. Even as he's writing that Savonarola is the most intelligent man in Florence, more or less a Republican and almost irritatingly moral, the book remains a story about The Clash of Modernity and the Medieval Mind. The story is interesting because many of the most important features of 'modern' life are prefigured in the friar rather than the Medici (democracy, equality, some legal restraints on the powerful). Sure, he was homophobic, but I imagine most of the Medici were as well.

Why does the book insist on this Clash Of Titans narrative? Because Strathern thinks history proceeds by dates. In roughly 1500, the Renaissance won, and thereafter everything was science, secular and sexy. Before that we're in the Dark. If the lines are that bright, the only way to tell the story is a clash of good and bad forces. Am I being hyperbolic? Consider what he says about the first English edition of Savonarola's 'Exposition,' which came out in 1543. As he points out, this was 12 years after England had separated from Rome. What does that indicate? It is "further [this is actually the first mention of this fact] indication, if such was needed [this phrase is never explained], of the regard in which this work came to be held by all Christians." The argument assumes that there were no 'Catholics' in England as of 1531; if there were, this publication would not 'indicate' that Savonarola's work was held in regard by Protestants. In other words, Strathern believes that, as of 1531, *no English stuck with Rome*... because 'England' now had its own church. Okay then.

This is one of many, many examples. If you know anything about history, you'll find this book fun and incredibly infuriating. If you know little about history (e.g., you believe that the middle ages were all about Keeping Science Down and the Renaissance was when people got things right again*), you won't be able to spot the falsehoods.

Not a bad way of killing five hours on a plane. A very bad way of learning.


* One final example: Strathern appears to believe that alchemy was a peculiarly medieval pursuit that *died out* during the Renaissance. Historians of Science, readers of Ben Jonson, et al., you have been told.

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 3 out of 5]

Same old story, same old song and dance

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read focusing mostly on Savonarola and his rise to power in the 1490s in Florence. There's also quite a bit about Lorenzo the Magnificent and his children as they dealt with Savonarola (and the Medici family as a whole was subsequently thrown out during his reign). So if you've read Paul Strathern's Medici book (or any other book focusing on the Medici), this likely won't offer much of anything new. I've always listened to Strathern's books on audio and I think they work extremely well in that environment. I do wish there had been something a little more special in the prose--for one of the most exciting periods in history, I never got the sense that Paul Strathern was all that intrigued by it.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are interested in the history of Italy or just the history of Florence, this book will interest you. It appears to be scholarly, yet the text has a minimum of references, which appear in detailed sections at the back, so it is readable.

I found the prose crisp and enjoyable.

The book tells a gripping story.

I read this because we are going to Florence soon and it was one of the few things on Italian history (WW2 apart) that I could find.

And I think that when looking at Florence and at Botticelli's work, the things I learned from this book will come back to me and add to the interest.

Just hoping it's a bit cooler in Italy than it is here!

[Al Bità · Rating 3 out of 5]

In hindsight, the second half of the 15th-c in Florence was pivotal for the political, social and intellectual movement we in the West have come to know as the Renaissance. In attempting to deal with the significance of the many events of the period, historians have a wealth of information to cope with. From Strathern’s point of view, two figures stand out: Lorenzo de’ Medici (Lorenzo the Magnificent) from the ruling Medici family, and the diminutive, ascetic Dominican monk Girolamo Savonarola. From the sub-title for this book, Strathern suggests that this period is defined by what he calls “a Battle for the Soul of Florence” conducted between these two personages.

For the most part, Strathern exhibits his formidable skills as an historian in dealing with the complexities of the time and place — and this aspect of the work is worth the reading. Once Leonardo is out of the picture, however, and Savonarola is more or less on his own, one can discern a subtle but ultimately overweening sympathy for the Dominican, apparently because his intentions were good… (As the saying goes: the path to Hell is paved with good intentions!) When Strathern suggests that because of his small stature and very ascetic way of life, the tortures suffered by Savonarola must have been far worse for him than those same tortures administered to those whom Savonarola condemned, I could not help but physically and mentally roll my eyes in disbelief. It betrays a kind of disconnect between the extremes of the phenomenon embodied in Savonarola, with a preference for the “nicer” side; a disconnect which is further emphasised in Strathern’s last chapter (“Aftermath”).

It is perhaps this last short chapter (some 3-and-a-bit pages dealing with an interpretation of the influence of Savonarola) more than anything else which annoyed me the most.

The so-called battle for Florence’s soul is referred to as “the opposition between a quasi-benign but corrupt capitalist system… and an opposing fundamentalist who fulfilled a public longing for the moral certainties of an earlier age, as well as for a more democratic egalitarian society…”.

Using Strathern’s own history, these words are both partly true and equally false. Society under the Medici was “democratic” and to some extent rather benevolent, but also strictly controlled by the capitalists (nothing new here, ever since the Greeks opted for their “democracy”). While Savonarola spoke of a more democratic society, there was nothing truly democratic about his version: it would be a democracy that was very much under his autocratic control…

As to whether his public longed for the moral certitudes of an earlier age (some certainly responded temporarily to his fear-inducing sermons and submitted enthusiastically (but only briefly) to his “bonfire of the vanities”) they also credulously believed his stated and implied “messenger from God” status and his “prophesying” ability, culminating, perhaps, in the “trial by fire” episode which comes across as being both hilariously funny as well as terrifyingly shocking at the same time. Strathern seems to side with the special prophetic powers as did the dedicated followers, some of whom were even more madly convinced of Savonarola’s sacredness than even Savonarola himself. Yet the very opening sentence of the final chapter reads: “Savonarola’s passing was greeted with widespread relief, which soon gave way to hectic celebrations.” So obviously Savonarola had not succeeded in fulfilling their longing for moral certitudes! Fickle people!

Strathern also wants to have our deluded monk as a precursor of reform of the church, quoting Luther’s later approving reference to him as inspiration for the Reformation and subsequent splitting of the Roman Catholic Church from the Protestants. Despite his fundamentalism, Savonarola was still very orthodox: even the Church found it difficult to accuse him of heresy as such (though that in itself would not have stopped it from doing so, if push came to shove (which it didn’t)). Yet Strathern wants his cake while eating it: while Savonarola was reformist, our author believes he would have condemned Luther as the worst of heretics; and that he wanted to reform the Church from within. Savonarola’s “reform from within” appears to have consisted in public denunciation of the corruption, hypocrisy and power-hungry methods of the Pope (hardly anything new, as numerous persons before and after Savonarola had been (and still are) highly critical of the Church), while at the same time both secretly and openly siding politically with other foreign and local powers and political groups aligned against the power and authority of the Papacy. Hardly a method of changing the Church from within! And a disastrous failure as well.

Despite his absurd and delusional beliefs underlying his fundamentalism, Savonarola was an intellectual: he got on well, according to Strathern, with many thinkers and artists of his day, including Lorenzo. While the latter was alive, there appears to be little that was problematic between the two men: Lorenzo continued his “corrupt” benevolence, while Savonarola enjoyed his patronage in Lorenzo’s very materialist gift of the San Marco monastery… In the area of the arts, however, without Lorenzo’s protection, we can see the morbid influence on such figures as Sandro Botticelli’s later, depressing art, and in the curdling of Pico della Mirandola’s philosophical work, just to name two. Savonarola was as much anti-intellectual as an intellectual. Yet Strathern wants to suggest that the underlying antipathy between two concepts incorporated in the personages of Leonardo the Magnificent and Girolamo Savonarola has some higher, universal appeal, started by them, and reverberating right throughout history ever since; so much so that “… the modern variant of this clash between fundamentalism and materialism has spread beyond the nation state to become a worldwide phenomenon.”

By this stage, one needs to be aware that the words “fundamentalism” and “materialism” have become vague and ambiguous. They are presented as opposites; but they are not necessarily so. For an atheist, Matter is all that exists, and therefore “fundamentalism” is merely yet another manifestation of matter. In a belief system, “fundamentalism” argues that there are fundamental truths underlying any ideology; specifically, in religious beliefs that “fundamentalism” is supposed to indicate the basic hard-rock of belief. In practice, this tends to transmogrify into “spiritualism”, another ambiguous term which also includes belief in “spiritual” beings (elves, fairies, angels, devils, nature spirits, etc.).

So far I have not included the word “fanatical” in combination with “fundamentalism” (and it is here where the most “damage” is done) but certainly it is a term which could be used, if not necessarily for Savonarola, then certainly for many of his followers. His fundamentalism was and is essentially divisive and disruptive, and this element is certainly shown operating in Strathern’s book. For me, the biggest irony is that in today’s world, those groups which consider themselves ultra-conservative and Fundamentalist (particularly in the United States, for example — but not necessarily limited to them (I’m thinking Legionnaries of Jesus, and Opus Dei, for example)) fundamentalism goes very comfortably in hand with the materialism associated with money and property: they have lots of both. So from this perspective (and Savonarola can be included in this) fundamentalism and materialism do not clash in the slightest — in fact, they feed on one another. So what I object to with this book is the attempt to sentimentalise and soften the outlines of someone who was not soft at all.

In trying to explain away Strathern’s sympathetic attitude I can only relate this to the attempt in the late 20th-c to have Savonarola sanctified by the Roman Catholic Church. Some have said that this was to counter-balance the Church’s 350-year-old-late exoneration of Galileo and his materialist explanation of the universe, which was made in 1992; thus this belated nod to materialism would be countered by the re-emphasis of a “spiritualist” view in the person of Savonarola. The Roman Church is autonomist and can do as it wishes as to whom it wants to glorify, but I do object to an historian who supplies an apologia on behalf of Savonarola on the basis that, despite the immediate consequences of his delusions and his actions, his heart was in the right place! Whether this was Strathern’s intention or not, this is the way I have taken his “conclusion”. For me, that’s not good enough.

[Juliette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very informative. You can see this sentence doesn’t roll out well as a compliment – so is google.

I might have unwittingly become the spoilt daughter of Christopher Hibbert, and now, no other historian compares to daddy. I’ll take it. It’s most likely true.

Paul Strathern doesn’t – to me at least – understand the Medici. I get the impression, he doesn’t even like them. Rather, he writes about them with cool curiosity and a touch of irony, which masks his detachment only partially - as though they were butterfly specimens behind glass.

Now all you ever need to understand about Savonarola, you can get from Thomas Mann’s Fiorenza, because Thomas Mann takes Savonarola and turns him inside out for you, better than if Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung went to bed together and did it between themselves.

Paul Strathern, on the other hand, is micromanaging. The man won’t let go of your hand. Do you understand that Savonarola was a complex man who cannot be easily or truthfully summed up as a religious freak, or does Strathern have to point that out fifteen more times? Do you understand the paradoxes of Savonarola’s life? Are you quite sure, you can see all the clever nuances about Savonarola which Strathern can see?

It’s almost as though Strathern looks upon his readers with distrustfully narrowed eyes and a nagging suspicion that they’re idiots. Leave them to their own devices, and they will inevitably draw some narrow-minded, one-sided conclusions.

And this might well be true – many of Strathern’s readers might, in fact, be idiots. But to paraphrase my father (and this time, the real one), when it comes to idiots, a gentleman never shows that he knows.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I began reading this book before a planned trip to Florence. It had been recommended by one of my travel mates and I thank him for that. Having now been in many of the places cited in the book and learned more about the history of Florence, I enjoyed finishing it even more. In previous fiction I'd read concerning this period, Savonarola had not come off well, so it was pleasant getting a more balanced picture of him. There truly was a battle for Florence's soul which began between the Medici family and Savonarola, but it was continued by Pope Alexander VI (a Borgia), who really brought the whole thing to a head. This book does a good job of explaining all the sides of the issue, plus how the city itself reacted to the fight. In a way, it appears Savonarola was a forerunner to Martin Luther. He just took things a bit too far in setting himself up as God's only voice on earth. A fascinating read for any interested in Italian history.

[Bfisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most interesting aspect of this book for me was the connections it described between the Medici and Savonarola.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Considered the home of the Renaissance, the author reveals a story of who was controlling the city of Florence, Italy in the last decade of the 15th century.

Initially, the author talks about the Medici family - mostly the banking and political power of Cosimo di Medici and his grandson, Lorenzo the Magnificent who was the main sponsor of the arts
And it was Lorenzo that planned his children's lives - Pietro who was his successor but failed miserably, forced into exile when he acquiesced with invader Charles Viii of France's demands. Giovanni was groomed for the church and later became Pope Leo X and the adopted nephew of Guilio who became Pope Clement VII. It was under Lorenzo's patronage that artists like Michelangelo, diVinci, Botticelli and many more found commissions from other notables.

It was the final years of Lorenzo's life that the preacher Girolamo Savonarola - the author goes into detail of his youth and early years in the Dominican Order - who became Lorenzo's nemesis. Many of his sermons were regarding the upcoming apocalypse due to the sins of the city -greed, sodomy, adultery, and murder. The people, wanting Biblical certainties rather than the glittering wealth of the Medici and others, began to fanatically follow his sermons and dictates.

While under Savonarola's control, the city was a fearful place to live. His "boys' who would go house to house demanding 'vanities' that would be burned and if they felt the resident did not provide enough items or were hiding something, they encouraged the residents' peers to force compliance. These religious fanatics eventually started to divide the city, leading to a state nearing civil war. Savonarola did not help the situation with his prophecies and reported visions which he felt entitled him to reject the Pope's orders.

In the end, the Pope excommunicated the friar for heresy and sedition as well as threatened Florence with interdiction. Within a year, he was arrested along with two of his most devoted friars. Under torture, Savonarola admitted the prophecies were made up - although many subjected to torture often agree to any crime in order for it to stop. The three were eventually hanged and burned. Their ashes scattered over the Arno River to prevent supposed relics to be collected.

Watching the city dissolve into fanaticism is disturbing no matter the "good" ideas that Savonarola may have had for the City of God as well as the corruption of the papacy. Martin Luther managed to get ahold of Savonarola's theses and sermons, agreeing with concept of Church reform.

Overall, once the reader gets past the individual histories of the young Lorenzo and Girolamo and they actually interacted for the short period of time before Lorenzo's death, reading about Florence's radical following of the friar is intriguing. I am not sure that I would overall recommend it since I can see some people finding it unsavory but as most of what we read. Some appeal and some do not.

2025-046

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding history writing

Please forgive me for quoting one the praises on the back cover of this book: "Grips the reader from the first page. It is an arresting and horrifying tale and Strathern tells it with immense skill and verve' This sums up my opinion about this books in a nutshell.

What a incredibly fascinating (and dangerous!) time this must have been. The ideas of the Renaissance and humanism are taking root in one the major cities of Italy. On the one hand they have allowed the flourishing of the different arts (painting, sculpture, archicture, literature, ...), but on the other hand they have also led to a totalitarian rule by some rich and powerful families, like the Medici's in Florence, while a majority of the population kept living in dire poverty.

At the same time different cities were almost constantly at war with each other and often even with the mercenary soldier's op the Pope's (!) army. Any alliance could fall apart in a matter of weeks and reverse one city's fortunes. Moreover there was a constant threat of foreign invasion (French and Turks) and every major city had to deal with bouts of plague on a regular basis.

In this tumultuous world comes the small, diminutive Dominican friar Fra Girolamo Savonarola. At first a preacher hardly worth noticing, but slowly he grew out to be a force in Florence to be reckoned with: a defender of the poor; a staunch opponent of all eclesiastical wealth and misconduct. Gradually he gains the trust of the majority of the people of Florence. But his religious fanaticism doesn't sit well with the powers that be and certainly not with the powers in Rome.

Admittedly at first I detested Savonarola, his ascetism, his fanaticism and his rejection of humanistic ideas; but gradually and definitely towards the end of his life, I developed a kind of sympathy and compassion for this man. He represented the old Medieval world and he didn't fit in the new Renaissance world.

The whole story, from Lorenzo de Medici's fame to the death of Savonarola, is told with such brilliance (although the author sticks to the facts and doesn't get bogged down in sentimentality) that I found myself turning the pages feverishly, wondering what would happen next; even though I already knew how it would end.

This is an outstanding work of scholarship that will appeal to a very broad audience.

[River · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded down because the book predicates a LOT on the claim that Lorenzo & Savonarola made a deal on Lorenzo's death bed with zero written evidence for this. I think it's totally possible a deal like this did happen, but the author REPEATEDLY asserted that it 100% did as a fact, and there isn't a single document directly supporting this, it's just an inference based on Sav & Piero's behavior after Lorenzo's death.

Found it pretty enjoyable and engaging unlike some reviewers but yeah wow needed more citations and less confidence

[David Pulliam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read because of the connections with the protestant reformation. Savonarola was certainly interested in a moral reformation of the church, but I sense he also wanted some ecclesiastical reforms. I'm surprised he didn't go for doctrinal reforms as well, nor did he use the teachings of Hus of Wyclife. Overall, really interesting read into a proto-reformer.

[Carlos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book! In all honesty when I first picked up the book I was concerned that Strathern was beating a dead horse, this book being his third on late 15th century Florence. However, as the story moved along and especially towards the end I clearly understood why Strathern came back. In this story Strathern uses Savonarola’s life to highlight the troubled transition from a medieval outlook to the nascent spirit of the early Renaissance. Strathern guides the reader through the great progress towards the Renaissance that Lorenzo il Magnifico made as well as the crisis of faith which it caused in the people. It is to this crisis that Savonarola owes his fame, he personally went through it and then guided a whole city through it. Lastly, in the closing chapters Starthern gives us a clear picture of what Savonarola was like in the final days without succumbing to hagiography and his discussion he makes a very strong argument as to why this particular historical landscape is so important, not only for the development of the Renaissance but also for the political future of Europe in the coming centuries. A great read and I strongly recommend it.

[Leftbanker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Instead of reading umpteen histories of the Medicis and this era in Renaissance Italy I should just pick one book and memorize it. It is such a fantastic story and one of the most brilliant moments in European history yet I always seem to be starting from scratch when I begin a new book, or almost from scratch. This book was a lot of fun to read, full of detail, and it makes me want to specialize in Florentine history. Perhaps a move of a few hundred miles across the Mediterranean is in my near future.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts off somewhat slow but once it gets moving it's very good. The somewhat split perspective between Lorenzo and Savonarola is well crafted, and doesn't hinder the narrative like one might expect.

Also Savonarola sucks.

[Raymond · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have visited Florence and was annoyed by all the really loud bell ringing but my education had not included any of the history and I knew little of the Medici and nothing of Savonarola. Included was a great deal of information about the secular Roman Catholic Popes and their atrocities and deplorable activities. I was astonished at the cruelty of the punishments to the acused and sentenced citizens and monks of the city which would not pass muster even for contemporary military questioning and criminal justice.

[Gayla Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific recounting of the struggle in Florence, the. Enter of the Renaissance in the late 1500s - early 1600s, when the Medici family was in control and trying to maintain their position of power among the other city-states in Italy at the time. Full of political corruption, political deception, power struggles, and Savonarola, a very uncommon priest. You cannot make this stuff up!

[Kathy Chumley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could have been (and actually is) an interesting story but the dry telling took much out of it. Listening to the audio book was okay but I'm pretty sure if I had been reading it in print I'd have abandoned it.

[Mikey Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly could have gone for a book entirely devoted to examining Savanarola’s ideology and faith.

[Halley Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

when I catch you Pope Alexander VI…

[N.P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Strathern’s book on the power struggle between the Medici and Girolamo Savonarola is an intricate tale of renaissance politics and religious extremism. It tells of the rise of a Dominican monk to the point where he was a threat to the power of the Roman Catholic church under the leadership of Pope Alexander VI as well as the stability of one of the greatest cities in late fifteenth century Europe.

The book starts at the height of the reign of Lorenzo the Magnificent in Florence. This was a time when Florence was considered the jewel in the Italian crown and was just embarking on a cultural rebirth where the great and the good were looking back to antiquity for inspiration. One of the benefits of this was the more open minded approach many of Florence’s citizens took to living life. Along with poetry, plays and great art came a more permissive sense of what it meant to live life beyond the confines of medieval scripture.

Into this came a young Dominican monk from Ferrara called Girolamo Savonarola who initially made no impact on Florentine society whatsoever. His plain looks, regional accent and unsophisticated ways opened him up to ridicule and he ended up leaving the city after a humiliating tenure in the cathedral where his voice failed to fill the vast voids that were teaming with worshippers. In response to this Savonarola spent the next few years moving around the region honing his oratory technique and in the process getting a reputation as an influential preacher.

It becomes clear when reading this book, that Savonarola was a deeply spiritual and learned man who would have succeeded in anything he chose to do in life had he not dedicated it to the Dominican order. He is normally portrayed as a preacher who did nothing other than scream hellfire and damnation from the pulpit and instil the fear of God into anybody that crossed his path. There is no doubt that this was true and that he was responsible for a level of extremism that brought Florence to its knees but there was so much more to him and Paul Strathern does an excellent service to the man in bringing it out.

The comparison between him and Lorenzo de Medici is also interesting. Where Savonarola inspires followers through his deep understanding of the bible and his background in humanism, Lorenzo’s appeal lies in his immense wealth, therefore allowing him to become the foremost patron of the arts and, by proxy, keep a stranglehold on Florentine power, and his natural skills as both a political and civic leader. Also the characters of both men could not have been more at odds, where Savonarola is both pious and humble, Lorenzo, and his successor son Piero, are both venal and corrupt.

Paul Strathern’s use of narrative non-fiction means that what we have here is a well paced book which tells the story of political intrigue, and religious extremism and shows us Florence swinging from the cradle of the renaissance to monastic theocracy and back again. Along the way we see a cast of characters straight out of the annals of European history from French kings to the great philosophers and artists who still influence modern thought today. It is a book that fizzes along at a strong pace without every really slowing down and in the process illuminates a part of history that still has ramifications for how we think today in an accessible and hugely enjoyable read.

It is a great piece of popular history and I loved every second of it. 5 stars from me.

[Jeffrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was seriously disappointed in Death in Florence: The Medici, Savonarola, and the Battle for the Soul of a Renaissance City.

First, I was disappointed because I was expecting more on the Medici and less on Savonarola. That is on me, not the author.

Second, I was horrified at how poorly sourced this book is. Please, please let us return to footnote citations! Strathern made so many assertions without any indication of any in text authoritative source for that information. Perhaps (probably) this information is in the notes at the end of the book, but it was not easy to decipher. Maybe Strathern, as a novelist, cares more about his narrative flow than my convenience for clarifying the authority of his assertions, but I do not like it.

Third, Strathern has so many speculations about what sensations people must have experienced. This does not bother me in history if it occurs rarely, but it felt like he did this in every other paragraph.

Finally, I got so tired of Strathern adoration of humanism (at least I inferred it to be adoration). I realize that humanist philosophy was a precursor to the Enlightenment that I love so much, but it is so limited and misguided that I struggle to understand the love of it.

This one was not scholarly by any stretch of the imagination, and it was real slog for me.

[Carole P. Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death in Florence is about the combustible clash of ideologies, each represented by two powerful men straddling the turning point between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance in Italy. Lorenzo de Medici, dynastic ruler of Florence, daring, brave, and the ideal model of a modern prince is catapulted into fierce struggle with fundamentalist monk, Savonarola. Savonarola is determined to drag Florence and the progress of the Renaissance back into the Dark Ages. Not afraid of using scare tactics of doomsday predictions to harry and inflame a fractured population, Savonarola is able to convince the population he is a prophet. Strathern writes a detailed and thorough recounting of this time period, using extensive research. He paints a vivid picture of Italy on the cusp of change, the machinations of the vast political and religious communities that were not afraid to use violence, blackmail, or even the threat of eternal damnation to shape the emerging and changing city states. Packed with politicking, murder, and skullduggery, Stathem describes the players, their motivation and goals so that the reader gets a rare picture of a pivotal time in history.

[Carlos Quijano · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating story that is well told. Paul Strathen does a good job at explaining the political machinations and motivations that animated Florence in the late 15th century. He also delved relatively deeply (at least more than most) into the life of Savonarola instead of having him appear as if out of nowhere, a fully formed monster. In fact, I found the book to be somewhat sympathetic towards Savonarola. He comes across as a real person, not the evil monster that wanted to do away with Renaissance humanism.

There is one thing that did annoy me in the book: Dominicans are not monks! They are friars! Monks live lives of contemplation and manual labor, cloistered behind the walls of monasteries in the countryside, far away from cities. Dominicans live active apostolic lives as preachers (officially, we are the Order of Preachers) and confessors and live in convents in cities. There's a big difference!

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won an ARC of this book in a goodreads giveaway. The writing isn't as dry as some of the nonfiction I read. I just thought it'd be a tad more interesting.

[Al Berry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overview of Savonarola's rise to power in Florence the expulsion of the Medici and the eventual downfall of Savonarola. Author could have gone into more details, but still a solid overview.

[Lolo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting subject but it was very boring. The author focused on meaningless details and skimmed over the important stories. It was very difficult to understand.

Wouldn't recommend.

[RYD · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I read, enjoyed and have basically never thought of again after I put it down. That is all.

[Tree · Rating 4 out of 5]

In days like these it is helpful to read of other times in history when citizens experienced similar events as it provides perspective and is a valuable reminder that history repeats…and repeats.
Florence in the 1400s could be a pleasant place to live. It was a vibrant city where citizens were provided many opportunities for enjoyment, quite often provided by the Medici family. Pros: the Medicis fostered one of the greatest ages in art, architecture and intellectual pursuits. Cons: they were an unbelievably corrupt oligarchy.
And into this milieu enters Savonarola, a Ferrara priest obsessed with fasting, denial of basic comforts, and prophecies of the destruction of Florence. Lucky for him the Medici family is soon to be headed by the hapless Piero the Unfortunate, corruption in the Vatican hits an all new high with the Borgia pope Alexander VI, and eventually famine and disease set upon the people of Florence.
For awhile Savonarola is able to ride this wave of misery with a combination of an I told you so attitude and any number of plans and ideas to squash whatever is left of Florence’s beautiful culture and create a pious, simple citizenry.
Before the inevitable rebellion to this occurs, Savonarola bravely confronts the French King Charles VIII, who dreams of blazing a path through Europe before crushing the Ottoman Empire and claiming Jerusalem for himself. A boy can dream, can’t he? But not only is Savonarola able to convince the king not to lay waste to the city that Piero handed over to him wrapped in a big bow, he is also able to convince the vast majority of Florentines who are angry and terrified to not attack the king’s troops once they arrive in the city. These are impressive achievements.
But, as these things go, Savonarola grows too big for his ragged robes and the tide turns against him in what has become a deeply divided city. Apparently, prostitutes and sodomy are more popular than prayer. Who knew? Certainly not Savonarola.

I first learned of Savonarola in one of my art history classes, where he was depicted in a one dimensional way as a villain, but the author Paul Strathern gives a more thorough biography, providing the reader with a man who was intelligent, in many ways ethical, who spoke truth to power and died a horrifying death with utmost dignity.
Strathern also provides a well researched guide through this robust period of history. He writes in an authoritative manner that does not pull attention away from the subject but often relies on diary entries and other written records of the time to tell the story. A lot happens and a lot of standout characters took part, and Strathern does a good job with not overwhelming the reader with absolutely everything. However, I think that considering all the fascinating people and events, quite a few unnecessary details, like the price of corn, could have been omitted, and I was frustrated at one point that he didn’t make a connection between the deaths of people who were very important to Savonarola and the intensification of his zealotry and willingness to speak out against those who held his life in their hands.

I would encourage anyone to read about this time and place. Not only does it hold a mirror up to our current society, but a period in history so rich with brilliant artists and thinkers and outsized personalities is enjoyable to learn about.