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
