So, my master's thesis is about the influence of Savonarola on the Dominican Nuns. Savonarola was a preacher in Florence from 1494-1498, who challenged the corruption of the Pope and the Catholic Church and got burned at the stake for it - May 13, 1498. He pounded the pulpit and drew hundreds of followers with his millenarism sermons and calls for reform. He wrote songs for nuns, although we're attempting to measure his impact on women overall. We'll probably have to narrow the topic to fit into 100 pages. My thesis advisor specializes in women's spirituality in the Middle Ages and she's done a lot of work in Germany on this topic; my focus is on Italy. Currently, I'm translating a prayerbook from Lawrence, Kansas that we found in their special collections - its attributed to followers of Savonarola. Its 140 pages total and written mostly in medieval Italian w/ some latin. Yikes!!! So, I'll be comparing that to stuff from the archives in Florence. Its incredibly overwhelming and stimulating all at the same time... I absolutely HAVE to be done and graduated by next May because Peter is leaving the state then... with or without me!
