Editing Fra Girolamo Savonarola (section)

== Savonarola’s legacy ==

After Savonarola’s death and the later restoration of the Medici dynasty to power, many of Savonarola’s followers, known as the Piagnoni, survived but were forced underground. They continued to support Savonarola’s message, supported the establishment of a theocratic republic, and demanded reform in the Catholic Church. Despite this call for reform, the Piagnoni had little in common with Protestant theology or Protestant opposition to the existence of the papacy. This, however, did not stop Protestant reformers such as Martin Luther from trying to claim Savonarola’s popular legacy for their own cause. Many Piagnoni who were fervent followers of Savonarola went on to also become staunch opponents of Protestantism, such as St. Philip Neri.
Niccolo Machiavelli, a critic and contemporary of Savonarola, said Savonarola’s main effort was attacking the opposition in order to weaken them and fortify his own party:

“Now that our friar was in his own house, if you had heard with what boldness he began preaching and with how much he continued, it would be an object of no little  admiration. Because, fearing greatly for himself and believing that the new Signoria would not be reluctant to injure him – and having decided that quite a few citizens  should be brought down with him – he started in with great scenes of horror; with explanations that were quite effective to those not examining them closely, he pointed out that his adherents were excellent people while his opponents were most villainous, and he drew on every expression that might weaken his opponents’ party and fortify his own.”
Letter written by Machiavelli on a sermon he heard from Savonarola on March 1498.


Pope Pius XII’s view on Fra Girolamo Savonarola:

“Savonarola shows us the strong conscience of the ascetic and an apostle who has a lively sense of things divine and eternal, who takes a stand against rampant paganism, who remains faithful to the evangelical and Pauline ideal of integral Christianity, put into action in public life as well and animating all institutions. This is why he started preaching, prompted by an interior voice and inspired by God.”

https://archive.ph/1Lyqc#cite_note-Pius_XII-11