Alexander VI – notoriously corrupt Borgia Pope who became Savonarola’s sworn enemy
Alfonso, Duke of Calabria – son and heir of King Ferrante I of Naples. Would later become Alfonso II of Naples
Anne of France – acted as Regent during the youth of Charles VIII
Arrabbiati – the most powerful anti-Savonarola faction
Bigi – faction supporting return of Piero de’ Medici
Sandro Botticelli – renowned painter and friend of Lorenzo the Magnificent
Fra Pacifico Burlamacchi – wrote early biography of Savonarola, much of it heard from Savonarola himself
Piero di Gino Capponi – leading Florentine citizen who famously defied Charles VIII
Cardinal Caraffi of Naples – friend of Alexander VI who nonetheless supported Savonarola
‘Ser Ceccone’ (real name Francesco de Ser Barone) – Savonarola’s chief civil interrogator
Charles VIII – the young King of France who invaded Italy
Compagnacci – fanatically anti-Savonarola group led by Doffo Spini
Commines (Commynes) – leading adviser of Charles VIII who kept a diary
Cardinal della Rovere – sworn enemy of Alexander VI, who encouraged Charles VIII to set up a council to depose him
Bartolomeo Cerretani – contemporary Florentine chronicler
Domenico da Pescia – the Dominican monk who was Savonarola’s closest and most loyal supporter, who followed his master to the end
Lucrezia Donati – ‘the most beautiful woman in Florence’, to whom the young Lorenzo the Magnificent addressed love poems
Ferrante I – King of Naples who received Lorenzo the Magnificent
Marsilio Ficino – celebrated Platonist and close friend of Medici family
Francesco da Puglia – a Franciscan monk from Santa Croce and a bitter enemy of Savonarola who issued the challenge for the ordeal by fire
Battista Guarino – the celebrated humanist scholar whose lectures Savonarola attended at the University of Ferrara
Francesco Guicciardini – contemporary historian of Florence and Italy
Fra Leonardo da Fivizzano – Augustinian monk at Santo Spirito who preached in Florence against Savonarola when he was at the height of his power
Giovanni della Vecchia – ‘the Captain of the Square,’ responsible for keeping the peace in the Piazza della Signoria, and later at San Marco
Giovanni Manetti – the Arrabbiati responsible for stirring up the crowd at the ordeal by fire, who later demanded permission to inspect Savonarola
Niccolò Machiavelli – contemporary historian of Florence and Italy
Fra Malatesta (Sacramoro) – the Arrabbiati spy in San Marco
Domenico Mazzinghi – pro-Savonarolan gonfaloniere who later argued in favour of the ordeal by fire
Fra Mariano da Genazzano – the Augustinian who was Florence’s favourite preacher before his ‘contest’ with Savonarola
Cosimo de’ Medici – the man who built up the Medici bank, grandfather of Lorenzo the Magnificent
Giovanni de’ Medici – second son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, who became a young cardinal
Giovanni di Pierfrancesco de’ Medici – taken into the Palazzo Medici by his uncle Lorenzo the Magnificent as a youth when his father Pierfrancesco died.
Giuliano de’ Medici – Lorenzo the Magnificent’s younger brother, who was murdered
Lorenzo de’ Medici (‘Lorenzo the Magnificent’) – effective ruler of Florence until 1492
Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de’ Medici – son of Pierfrancesco de’ Medici. Taken into the Palazzo Medici as a youth when his father died
Lucrezia (neé Tornabuoni) de’ Medici – Lorenzo the Magnificent’s influential mother
Fra Ludovico da Ferrara – despatched to Florence by Alexander VI to investigate Savonarola
Fra Silvestro Maruffi – monk at San Marco prone to visions who would follow Savonarola to the end
Pierfrancesco de’ Medici – cousin of Piero de’ Medici and grandson of Giovanni di Bicci, the founder of the Medici bank
Piero de’ Medici – first son of Lorenzo the Magnificent who took over his rule of Florence in 1492
Dietisalvi Neroni – long-term business associate of Cosimo de’ Medici, who grew jealous of Piero de’ Medici
Clarice (neé Orsini) de’ Medici – Lorenzo the Magnificent’s Roman bride
Pico della Mirandola – charismatic Renaissance philosopher, befriended by Lorenzo the Magnificent, his biography was written by his nephew, Francesco Pico della Mirandola
Piero Parenti – Florentine diarist during this period
Piagnoni – Savonarola’s supporters, mainly drawn from amongst the poor, but extending into all sections of Florentine society
Angelo Poliziano – renowned poet and member of Lorenzo the Magnificent’s circle
Bishop Remolino – finally despatched by Alexander VI to conduct Savonarola’s ‘examination’
Bernardo Rucellai – leading Florentine citizen sent by Lorenzo the Magnificent on delegation to persuade Savonarola to tone down his sermons; later turned against Peiro de’ Medici (‘the Unfortunate’)
Girolamo Rucellai – moderating voice at the Pratica called to debate the ordeal by fire
Marcuccio Salviati – commander of the pro-Savonarolan troops at the ordeal by fire
Girolamo Savonarola – the Dominican friar who stood against all that the Medici represented
Michele Savonarola – Girolamo’s grandfather and a formative influence. Despite being a pioneering physician, he remained a strict medievalist.
Niccolò Savonarola – Girolamo’s unsuccessful father
Galeazzo Maria Sforza – nephew of Ludovico Sforza, and rightful heir to the Dukedom of Milan
Ludovico ‘il Moro’ Sforza – uncle of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, who acted as ruler of Milan during his nephew’s minority
Paolantonio Soderini – leading citizen and supporter of Savonarola
Doffo Spini – the headstrong leader of the Compagnacci extreme anti-Savonarola faction
Giovanni Tornabuoni – Lorenzo the Magnificent’s uncle, manager of the Rome branch of the Medici bank
Fra Mariano Ughi – the second Dominican who volunteered for the ordeal by fire
Francesco Valori – sent by Lorenzo the Magnificent on a delegation to warn Savonarola to tone down his sermons; later pro-Savonarolan gonfaloniere
Simonetta Vespucci – celebrated at the age of 17 as the most beautiful woman in Florence. Lorenzo the Magnificent’s brother Giuliano is said to have pined for her love