 Bernardino of Siena organising a vanities bonfire,Perugia, from theOratory of San Bernardino, byAgostino di Duccio, built between 1457 and 1461 | |
| Native name | Falò delle vanità |
|---|---|
| Date | 7 February 1497 (1497-02-07) |
| Location | Florence, Italy |
| Type | Burning of objects condemned by authorities as occasions of sin |
| Theme | Supporters of Dominican priest Girolamo Savonarola collected and publicly burned thousands of objects, such as cosmetics, art, and books |
Abonfire of the vanities (Italian:falò delle vanità) is a burning of objects condemned by religious authorities asoccasions of sin. The phrase itself usually refers to the bonfire of 7 February 1497, when supporters of theDominican friarGirolamo Savonarola collected and burned thousands of objects such as cosmetics, art, and books in the public square ofFlorence, Italy, on the occasion ofShrove Tuesday,martedì grasso.[1][2]
Francesco Guicciardini'sThe History of Florence gives a firsthand account of the 1497 Florentine bonfire of the vanities.[3] The focus of this destruction was on objects that mighttempt one tosin, including vanity items such as mirrors, cosmetics, fine dresses, playing cards, and musical instruments. Other targets included books that Savonarola deemed immoral, such as works byBoccaccio, manuscripts of secular songs, and artworks, including paintings and sculptures.
Although often associated with Savonarola, such bonfires had been a common accompaniment to the outdoor sermons ofSan Bernardino di Siena in the first half of the 15th century.[4]
Savonarola was a Dominicanfriar who was assigned to work in Florence in 1490 at the request ofLorenzo de' Medici. Within a few years, Savonarola became one of the foremost enemies of theHouse of Medici and helped bring about their downfall in 1494.[5] Savonarola campaigned against what he considered to be the artistic and social excesses ofRenaissance Italy, preaching with great vigor against any luxury. His power and influence grew so much that, with time, he became the effective ruler of Florence and had soldiers for his protection following him around.[6]
DuringCarnival in 1497 and 1498,[7] Savonarola began to host a regular "bonfire of the vanities". He collected and burned objects that he considered objectionable, including nude paintings, wigs and makeup, love poetry, games and dice, and music and musical instruments.[8] Anyone who tried to object found their hands being forced by teams of Savonarola supporters. These supporters called themselvesPiagnoni ("Weepers") after a public nickname that was initially intended as an insult.[9]
Savonarola's influence did not go unnoticed by the higher church officials, and his actions came to the attention ofPope Alexander VI. He wasexcommunicated on 13 May 1497. He was charged withheresy and sedition at the command of Pope Alexander VI.[10] Savonarola was executed by hanging on 23 May 1498, and his body was burnt. His death occurred in thePiazza della Signoria, where he had previously held his bonfires of the vanities.[10][11] Then the papal authorities gave word that anyone in possession of the friar's writings had four days to turn them over to a papal agent for destruction. Anyone who did not comply also faced excommunication.[12]
Although some later sources reported that the Florentine artistSandro Botticelli burned several of his classical mythology paintings in the great Florentine bonfire of 1497, a biography fromVasari does not mention this. Furthermore, no early records of Vasari indicate that Botticelli ceased creating future works after coming under the influence of Savonarola. Modern art historians also indicateseveral of his paintings are assigned dates after Savonarola's death in 1498. The art historian Rab Hatfield says that one of Botticelli's paintings,The Mystical Nativity, cryptically dated 1500, is based on the sermon Savonarola delivered onChristmas Eve, 1493.[13] Writing several centuries later in 1851,Orestes Brownson, anapologist for Savonarola, vaguely mentions artworks byFra Bartolomeo,Lorenzo di Credi, and "many other painters", along with "several antique statues" being burnt in the bonfire.[14]
The event has been represented or mentioned in varying degrees of detail in several works of historical fiction, includingGeorge Eliot'sRomola (1863),E. R. Eddison'sA Fish Dinner in Memison (1941),Irving Stone'sThe Agony and the Ecstasy (1961),Chelsea Quinn Yarbro'sThe Palace (1978),Michael Ondaatje'sThe English Patient (1992),Roger Zelazny andRobert Sheckley'sIf at Faust You Don't Succeed (1993),Timothy Findley'sPilgrim (1999), Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason'sRule of Four (2004),Jeanne Kalogridis'sI, Mona Lisa (2006),Traci L. Slatton'sThe Botticelli Affair (2013), andJodi Taylor'sNo Time Like the Past (2015), and in television dramas including theShowtime seriesThe Borgias,The Sky (Italy) and the Netflix (North America) seriesBorgia, and the third season (2019) of the Netflix (North America) seriesMedici in the final episode titled "The Fate of the City". Other references in popular culture include:
Robinson, Paschal (1907). "St. Bernardine of Siena". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.).Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company.{{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)