1) This is my cover photo. It has been since I started this account. It's an anonymous painting from 1650 depicting the hanging and burning of Girolamo Savonarola in the Piazza della Signoria of Florence in 1450.

2) Savonarola was, on one hand, an early church reformist that was later read by early Protestants, including Martin Luther.

He also preached in support of constitutional reforms to the Florentine Republic to enfranchise the minor guilds and the poor.

He was a populist.

3) He was also an apocalyptic preacher that claimed to have visions that Florence would become a New Jerusalem at the center of a global Christian kingdom.

His popularity lead to his supporters expelling Piero de Medici in 1494 and establishing more of a direct democracy.

4) After pushing through constitutional reforms, he continued to peach the necessity for Florence to perform penance to justify being the chosen city of God. He had visions that, in the end, Florence would be greater than ever.

So, he turned Florence into a theocracy.

5) He had morality police for people's dress and behavior, pushed the passing of new vice laws, and advocated the destruction of secular art and culture.

6) What most might remember hearing about are the bonfires of the vanities. Savonarola's supporters went through people's homes burning cosmetics, art, books, and other items deemed sinful.

7) To the modern eye this is very shocking. We're shocked by it when we see these kinds of things play out in other countries in the world even today.

But this is the end of the 15th century. There had been and would be many other apocalyptic "prophets" that were disastrous.

8) This was also right in the middle of several centuries of recurrent plague. There's a great description of a particularly nasty outbreak in Florence from Giovanni Bocaccio in the middle of the 14th century.

During that outbreak, 30% to 60% of the population died.

9) Maybe people, who had no idea what was causing it, had legitimate concern that they were being punished by an angry God.

It would certainly have looked like the end of the world and it kept coming back.

10) Anyhow, Savonarola was undone when he violated an order from the Pope to stop preaching. He was excommunicated and Florence was threatened with interdiction.

Most people know excommunication. It's when an individual is banned from receiving sacraments and church services.

11) Interdiction is essentially when an entire territory, like a city or country, is excommunicated.

It was very rare and acted as the church's nuclear option when they wanted to light a fire under people's asses to make some changes.

12) Savonarola had made some suggestions of performing miracles to support the truth of his holy mission.

At this point he was called out by another priest and challenged to a trial by fire.

Some of Savonarola's closest followers took up the challenge.

13) On the day of the trial, the challengers slow walked the proceedings. Eventually a rain storm put an end to the whole thing before it could actually start.

The angry mob ended up turning on Savonarola and taking him prisoner.

14) He was tortured until he confessed to making up his visions. In the end, Savonarola and two others were hanged and burned with their ashes spread in the Arno River.

15) I think there are two lessons to this story really.

One. Take care when you follow doom sayers. Fear can be as dangerous as any contagion and social distancing cannot contain it.

Two. Take care preaching doom. The mob always turns on you.