In 1485, Florence flourished under the rule of the Medici family. The usury that had made their fortune had developed into banking and finance, and they had become the richest family in Florence.
Yet their extravagant lifestyle drew the dissatisfaction of Girolamo Savonarola, who served at St. Mark's Monastery in Florence.
He was a monk of the Dominican Church. In his sermons, he denounced the corruption of the Pope and the Church, exposed the Medici family's brutal rule over Florence, opposed the wealthy's extravagance and debauchery, advocated restoring social morality, and promoted a pious, ascetic life. His words and deeds won considerable support among the common people.
In 1491, he became abbot of St. Mark's Monastery. In 1494, King Charles VIII of France invaded Italy, the Medici family surrendered, and Savonarola became the spiritual leader of the city's popular uprising.
After driving out the Medici family, he led a religious reform in 1497. Jewelry, luxury goods, fine clothing, and supposedly corrupting books were burned in the square, including works by Dante, Ovid, and Boccaccio. Secular music was banned, hymns were promoted, and the city's administration and tax system were reformed.
Pope Alexander VI at the time intended to buy him off with a cardinal's red hat, but Savonarola called that Borgia Pope "Satan's representative." That same year, the Pope excommunicated Savonarola. In April 1498, the Pope and the Medici family exploited a famine and incited the masses to attack St. Mark's Monastery.
The Republic of Florence failed. Savonarola was charged with schism and fanatical heresy, then executed by burning in the heart of Florence.
The secularized Church was not actually as extreme as ordinary people imagined. It did not casually burn books or resort to burning people at the stake. After the Crusades, it acquired many Greek and Roman books,