Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 13.djvu/550

 SAVONAROLA

490

SAVONAROLA

ship passed to the marquesses of Monferrato (9S1) and afterwards to the marquesses of Vasto (1084); Savona was even then oishged to recognize a certain protectorate of the Repubhc of Genoa. From 1191 till 1215 it was a free commune. In 1238 it became subject to Genoa, but succeeded later on several occasions in gaining its independence (1238-51 ; 1318- 1332; 1335-50). In 1525, the Genoese through jeal- ousy obstructed its port. In 1745 it was bombarded by the English; the following j^ear it was taken by the King of Sardinia, who restored it to Genoa, whose fortune it thenceforward shared. In 1809 Pius VII was imprisoned there by the French; he returned thither in 1816 to crown the Madonna della Miser- icordia. Savona is the birthplace of Popes Sixtus IV and Julian II, as also of the poet Gabriele Chiebrera. The See of Savona derives from that of Vadum Sabbatium, now a small village three miles from Savona. The first known bishop was Benedict (680) ; Bishop Bernard in 992 established the monastery on the island of Berzezzi, after the see had been trans- ferred to Savona; Blessed Amicus (1049) reformed the canons. Grossolanus (1098), previously Abbot of Ferranii, founded by Mar- quese Boniface of Savona (1097), w:is selected as Arch- bishop of Milan, bat was o ]j p o s e d by others and ])assed his days in continued turmoil ; Blessed Vidone Lomello was present at the Lateran Council of 1179; Ambrogiodel Carretto (1191) in- duced the marquess, his brother, to grant independence to the Comune of Savona; Blessed Alberto di Novara had frequent

Chtjrch of IMadoxna della Mibericordia, Savona

(1248); among his successors maj- be mentioned the pious and gifted Barnabite Paolo Andrea Borelli (1700) and Benedetto Solaro, O.P. (1778), a supporter of the Synod of Pistoia. Savona is suffragan of Genoa and contains 60 parishes with 88,000 inhabitants, 170 secular and 75 regular priests, 9 educational institu- tions for boys and 15 for girls.

Cappelletti, Le chiese d' Italia; Risso, Notizie della chiesa vescovile di Vado (Genoa, 1829) ; Tarteroli, Storia del Comune di Savona (Savona, 1849) ; Savonensis reipublicm monumenta hisloriai (Savona, 1851); GAnoai, D die memorie parlicolari, etc. di Sarona (Savona, 1885-91); Verzellinio, Guida storica e artistica di Savona (Savona, 1S74).

U. Benigni

Savonarola, Girolamo, b. at Ferrara, 21 Septem- ber, 1452; d. at Florence, 23 May, 1498. The Do- minican reformer came from an old ifamily of Ferrara. Intellectually very talented he devoted himself to his studies, and especially to philosophy and medicine. In 1474 while on a journey to Faenza he heard a pow- erful sermon on repentance by an Augustinian and re- solved to renounce the world. He carried out this de-

cision at once and

entered the Domin- ican Order at Bo- logna without the knowledge of his parents. Feehng deeply the wide- spread di'pravity of the era of the Re- naissance, as is evi- dent from the poem "On the Dechne of the Church ", which h(> wrote in the first year of his monas- tic life, the young Dominican devoted iiiinself with great /t;il to prayer and ascetic practices. In the monastery at Bologna he was entrusted with the instruction of the novices. He here

conflicts with the comune, began to write philosophical treatises based on Aris-

which took possession of the property of the Church; totle and St. Thomas Aquinas. In 1481 or 1482 he was

Enrico Ponsoni (1288) made peace with the neigh- sent by his superior to preach in Florence. In this

bouring cities. In 1327 the city adhered to the anti- centre of the Renaissance he immediately opposed

pope Nicholas V, for which it was put under in- terdict for several years; Antonio Viale, a soldier rather than a bishop, had trouble with the Genoese, who kept him imprisoned at Noli; later, he avenged him.self by having the doge, Antoniotto Adorno, de- posed; Vincenzo Viale (1413) was famous for his erudition; .Jacopo della Rovere (1.504) is saifl to have died because he was not made a cardinal. In the sixteenth century the Rei)ublic of Cienoa destroyed, without compensation, many churches and religious places to make way for fortifications. As the cathe- dral, constructed by .Julius II, was amongst these, the canons in 1.5.50, of thr-ir own accord, occupied the church of the Conventuals, who were absent that day, and the latter were deprived of their church till 1.589, when the new cathedral was completed. Bishop Gio. Batt. Centurione (1.592) was distinguished by his zeal in introducing reforms; Francesco M. Spinola (1632) had frequent disputes with the Genoese government, by whom he was exilr-d; Domenico M. Gentile (1775) restored the seminary; Vine. M. Maggiolo (1804) en- t<?rtained Pius V'll for several years; Agostino M. de' Mari (1833), a zealous pastor, instituted evangel- ical works. In 1820 the Diocese of Noli, the ancient Naulum, wim united to Savona. That diocese had been separated from Savona in 1239 at the request of the Republic of Genoa. The first bishop was Filippo

with p-reat energy the pagan anrl often immoral life prevalent in many classes of society and especially at the court of Lorenzo de Medici. Savonarola's ser- mons made no impression, for his method and mode of speaking were repulsive to the Florentines; but this did not discourage his reforming zeal. He preached in the other cities of Italy during the vears 148.5-89. At Brescia, in ]4S, he (■"xiilained the Book of Revelation and from that tini(> became more and more absorbed in Apocalyptic ideas concerning his own era, the judgment of God which threatened it, and the regeneration of the Chin-ch that was to follow. At the .same time he was filled with an intense zeal for the salvation of souls, and was ready to risk all in or- der to combat wickedness and to spread holiness of life. In 1489 he returned to Florence which was to be the scene of his future labours and triumphs as well as of his fall.

In August, 1490, Savonarola began his sermons in the pulpit of San Marco with the interpretation of the Apocalypse. His success was complete. All Flor- ence throngefl to hear him, so that from his sermons in the cathedr.il lie acquired a constantly growing in- fluence over the pef)ple. In 1491 he became prior of the monastery of San Marco. He made manifest his feelings towards the ruler of Florence by failing to visit Lorenzo de Medici, although the Medici had