Samantha Morris's concise biography is an accessible entry into Savonarola and Florentine religious politics. The selected chapter follows Charles VIII's invasion of Italy to press his claim to Naples. French violence made Savonarola's warnings appear fulfilled and weakened confidence in Piero de' Medici. Piero then alienated both sides through an uncertain neutrality policy before conceding fortresses and money to Charles without securing political support at home. Savonarola's own meeting with the king proved more effective, showing how prophecy, popular belief, diplomacy and military pressure combined in Florence's crisis.
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Savonarola, the French invasion and Medici collapse
The Pope's Greatest Adversary links Savonarola's prophecies to Charles VIII's 1494 invasion and Piero de' Medici's political collapse.