Girolamo Savonarola (born September 21, 1452, Ferrara, Italy—died May 23, 1498, Florence) was a Dominican friar, preacher, and religious reformer of Renaissance Florence. Born to a prosperous merchant family, Savonarola early became disillusioned with the corruption of society and the Church, prompting him to join the Dominican Order in 1475. Excelling in theology and scriptural studies, he soon gained a reputation a