Girolamo Savonarola

Renaissance Florence made a truly generous contribution to the cultural history of Europe. But it was also the scene of great political and spiritual conflicts. Perhaps the most dramatic of these was the dispute between the prior of the Dominican monastery, Girolamo Savonarola, and Pope Alexander VI.

The condemnation of the visionary preacher to death and the throwing of his ashes into the river will inevitably remind a Czech reader of the life and death of Jan Hus. Both of these prophets of truth, who were dissatisfied with the state of the church, are often described by Protestant historians as "forerunners of the Reformation".

The Genevan theologian, political scientist, and YMCA youth worker Théophile Geisendorf-Des Gouttes (1874–1953) does not seek to place Savonarola within a certain current of historical thought, but rather notes his originality. He is sometimes cautiously critical of him, but for the most part, this Protestant manages to empathise with the motivations of the Dominican monk. He is particularly drawn to Savonarola's fascination with the prophetic texts of the Bible.

He intended his treatise for a wide audience, especially for young people who, “it seems, now more than ever, need to see examples of outstanding personalities who, obedient to the voice of their conscience, were able to stand up against the powerful of this world”.

He wrote the book during the Second World War, and an attentive reader will sense the author's concern for the fate of Europe, where even noble efforts for a more just world can so easily degenerate into fury, and the desire for unity into compliance with dictators.

One of the reasons this work was created was Geisendorf's dissatisfaction with the quality of tourist brochures about Florence. So he wrote his own guide, partly to the city of flowers itself, but mainly through the twists, turns, depths, and heights of the great Florentine's life: “Perhaps it is precisely for young people that the figure of the Florentine Dominican monk, embodying indomitable will and moral courage, will be both an encouragement and a comfort.”