A bonfire of the vanities is a burning of objects condemned by religious authorities as occasions of sin. The phrase itself usually refers to the bonfire of 7 February 1497, when supporters of the Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola collected and burned thousands of objects such as cosmetics, art, and books in the public square of Florence, Italy, on the occasion of Shrove Tuesday, martedà grasso.
Bernardino of Siena organising a vanities bonfire, Perugia, from the Oratory of San Bernardino, by Agostino di Duccio, built between 1457 and 1461
Girolamo Savonarola, OP or Jerome Savonarola was an ascetic Dominican friar from Ferrara and a preacher active in Renaissance Florence. He became known for his prophecies of civic glory, his advocacy of the destruction of secular art and culture, and his calls for Christian renewal. He denounced clerical corruption, despotic rule, and the exploitation of the poor.
Girolamo Savonarola by Fra Bartolomeo, c. 1498, Museo di San Marco, Florence.
Fantasy portrait of Girolamo Savonarola by Moretto da Brescia, c. 1524.
Illustration from Compendio di revelatione, 1496, by Savonarola
Italian Renaissance Medal of Girolamo Savonarola by Fiorentino. Electrotype, obverse