What role did Girolamo Savonarola play in Florence’s negotiations with Charles VIII?

Following the 1494 invasion of Florence by Charles VIII, Girolamo Savonarola played a significant role in the city's political transition. Having predicted the king's arrival and easy victory two years prior, Savonarola’s authority was greatly bolstered by these prophecies.1

During the upheaval, he participated directly in negotiations with the French king. Following the subsequent exile of the Medici, Savonarola also acted to moderate the intense hatred between competing political factions, helping to stabilize the city.1

While he later became a staunch advocate for an alliance with France—a stance that ultimately isolated the commune and failed to secure loyalty from Charles VIII—his initial involvement in the negotiations and his role in managing the post-Medici power vacuum were instrumental in his rise to prominence within the new republican regime.21