What kind of government did Girolamo Savonarola support in Florence after 1494?
After the Medici were overthrown in 1494, Girolamo Savonarola became a central figure in Florence and advocated for a democratic republic.12
Specifically, during the political debates of 1495 regarding the city's new structure, Savonarola supported the faction that sought the widest possible extension of popular participation in government. He envisioned the city as a well-organized Christian republicāa "city of God"āthat would serve as a model for the moral reform of Italy and the church.32
While he was not the sole architect of the state, his influence was significant, and he promoted a system that many of his contemporaries viewed as a highly effective form of democratic governance. His political stance was closely tied to his moral crusade, which emphasized purification and a rejection of the corruption associated with the previous regime.23