1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello everyone, I'm Eves. Welcome to this Day 3 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:10,560 Speaker 1: in History class, where we take a tiny bite of 4 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 1: history every day. Today is February seven. The day was 5 00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:32,519 Speaker 1: February seven. Followers of the Dominican friar Gervalamo Savonarola burned 6 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 1: objects that were considered vanities, like books, artwork, and instruments. 7 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:40,959 Speaker 1: Though this event is known as the Bonfire of the Vanities, 8 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:44,880 Speaker 1: the term generally refers to burning objects that religious authorities 9 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: believe incite people to sin. Savonarola became a Dominican monk 10 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: in fourteen seventy five, and the following years he began 11 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 1: teaching novices and lecturing on philosophy, and he studied with 12 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 1: various lecturers, concentrating on theology. By fourteen eighty two, he 13 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: had transferred to the convent of San Marco and Florence, 14 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:09,479 Speaker 1: and soon he was preaching in the Church of San Lorenzo. 15 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: He gained a reputation for his learning and austerity, but 16 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,040 Speaker 1: at first he did not get much attention for his preaching. 17 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,559 Speaker 1: In fourteen eighty four, though he reported his first vision 18 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: about the scourge of the church. He began delivering prophetic sermons, 19 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: and he preached in the church of San jim and 20 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:31,680 Speaker 1: Yano in fourteen eighty five, and during Lent in fourteen 21 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:36,560 Speaker 1: eighty six, he spoke about the wrath of God and sinfulness, 22 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 1: and he called for a reform in the church. At 23 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 1: this point his popularity began to grow. Savonarola preached in 24 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: several different cities for a while, but in fourteen ninety 25 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: he returned to Florence. He soon began preaching in the 26 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, criticizing materialism and the 27 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 1: leaders of the world. He also criticized the policies of 28 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 1: the government, which Florentine ruler Lorenzo di Medici took offense 29 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: to the Lorenzo threatened to banish him. Lorenzo soon died 30 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: and Savonarola continued preaching. Savonarola prophesied the scourge of Italy, 31 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 1: railing against vanity and corruption. He soon led his convent 32 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 1: to break from the ruling organization of monasteries that it 33 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: belonged to the Congregation of Lombardy. He advocated for other 34 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: convents to do the same, and he ordered that his 35 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: monks give up their possessions so that they could raise 36 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 1: money for impoverished people. Once Medici rule ended, he began 37 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 1: suggesting new policies in his sermons. Plus his prophecies were 38 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: panning out. Savonarola quickly became a political authority. He did 39 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: not hold public office, but under his guidance, a new 40 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: republic was established in four He immediately set out to 41 00:02:56,440 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 1: help impoverished people, demanding more jobs and telling the churches 42 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: to melt their gold and silver to buy food for 43 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: the hungry. He also called for more modesty. Songs deemed 44 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 1: profane were replaced with hymns, People began wearing an adorned clothing, 45 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 1: and art and other inappropriate objects were burned. Savonarola did 46 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: have enemies like the Arabillati and the Tepid, but he 47 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: continued to pursue drastic reform in light of the abuses 48 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:30,519 Speaker 1: of the church. He denounced jokes, sex, gambling, nude paintings, 49 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: jewelry and other luxuries, as well as the humanistic culture 50 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 1: of the Renaissance. He shut down traditional festivals and replaced 51 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: them with religious festivals. In fourteen nineties seven, his supporters 52 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: gathered donations from Foreignine citizens for a fire of repentance. 53 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: On February seventh, they carried vanities objects like mirrors, dresses, 54 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 1: and cosmetics to a fire in the Piazza de la 55 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: Seignoria and burned them. This wasn't the first bonfire spot 56 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 1: served by the Dominicans, but it is one of the 57 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: most notable ones. Pope Alexander the Six ordered him to 58 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: stop preaching, but he refused. In May of seven, the 59 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:16,359 Speaker 1: Pope excommunicated Savonarola, who did not stop preaching until March 60 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: of just two months after his last sermon. After being 61 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 1: convicted of heresy, Savonarola was burnt at the stake. I'm 62 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: Eves Jeffcote and hopefully you know a little more about 63 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 1: history today than you did yesterday. Spend some of your 64 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:36,919 Speaker 1: daily social media time with us at t D I 65 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: h C podcast, or if you would prefer to email us, 66 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 1: you can send us a message at this day at 67 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:48,599 Speaker 1: I heart media dot com. I truly hope you enjoyed 68 00:04:48,640 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 1: today's show. We'll be back tomorrow with another episode. Mm hmmm. 69 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit the I 70 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:06,919 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 71 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:07,719 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.