San Marcos

The Convent of St. Mark was built in 1436 on the order of Cosimo the Elder, to house Dominicans. There are two reasons to visit it nowadays: the very abundant frescoes and other works by Fra Angelica (and later Fra Bartolomeo) and the effects of Savanarola, prior at San Marcos, who led the anti-Medici uprising in 1496-97. Those years featured the "Bonfire of the Vanities," in which unnumbered works of secular art and literature were consigned to the flames. The reactionary demagogue Savanarola eventually offended the pope and himself was consigned to the flames in 1498. Sic semper demagogues, I say.

The bell that was rung to convene the uprisings

Fra Angelica's Crucifixion

Throughout, the cells are decorated with Fra Angelica frescoes,

many of them very well-known masterpieces; here, his

Annunciation

Fra Angelica's Linaioli Madonna (for the linen

merchants), 1433, his first public work; much

under the influence of Masaccio (whom we'll

see a bit later)

According to our 1896 Michelin Guide, Savanrola's cell

was the one with the Juda Kiss, above; the museum

designated his room otherwise

Last Supper; note the guy on the lower right with the

black halo: unusual treatment of Judas

Crucifixion

Some of Savanarola's personal effects; apparently he still

was venerated here; the signage mentions his "martyrdom"

Famous portrait of the demagogue

Artsy-fartsy shot out the window, the Duomo

Torment

The Last Supper was always a popular treatment for, you

guessed it, the refectory; this one, in what is now the gift-store,

is by Ghirlandaio, one of three he did in Florence

Jesus seems to be saying "From now on, his limit is two"; note
the guy sitting nearest does not have a halo; nor does the cat; I
regard this as rather seriously bad news for cats

Of course I'd take any Fra Angelica fresco in my bed-chamber,

but this one seems particularly appropriate