Why was Giordano Bruno burned at the stake?
- Davit Grigoryan
- Feb 22
- 6 min read
Updated: Mar 6
From an early age, we've been taught the stereotype that Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake for his scientific beliefs. We were led to believe that his execution was nothing more than an attempt by the Catholic Church to stop the spread of the idea that the Earth is round and revolves around the Sun. However, in reality, things were far more complex. Let’s explore just how ruthless the Holy Inquisition was and find out what Giordano Bruno was truly burned for.
The Historical Context of the 16th Century
For Europe, the 16th century was a time of great change, marking the formation of modern society. The feudal system was fading away, and the outdated church structure was collapsing. The rising bourgeoisie, aiming for dominance, required a new ideology. Of course, there was no intention to abandon Christianity completely. However, the Roman Catholic Church, which owned a third of the arable land in Western Europe alone, could no longer exist in its traditional medieval form. People were increasingly angered by the clergy's excessive greed for power and wealth. Individuals were increasingly convinced that such an expensive intermediary between man and God was no longer necessary.
The Reformation began, giving rise to Protestantism, which, along with Orthodoxy and Catholicism, became one of the main branches of Christianity. Naturally, Rome was not about to simply relinquish its position, so it undertook a series of measures aimed at maintaining stability and retaining power. This movement is now known to us as the Counter-Reformation.
In addition, it is important to remember that the 16th century was part of the Renaissance era, with its focus on "humanism". It was during this multifaceted period of history, filled with a storm of contradictions, ideas, and opinions, that Filippo Bruno, known as "Bruno of Nola", was born, justly entering the ranks of the heroes of his time.
The Personality of Giordano Bruno
To better understand the reasons that led Bruno to the stake, it is worth examining the characteristics of his complex personality. The philosopher was a controversial figure. He could not tolerate dissenting opinions, and in frequent arguments with opponents, he did not hesitate to use foul language. Combined with youthful maximalism, his inflated self-opinion bordered on megalomania. Bruno largely considered those around him to be fools. Even Copernicus, whose heliocentric model he so fervently admired, Bruno believed had not fully grasped the essence of his discovery. This inherent irascibility of the philosopher is evident throughout his turbulent biography.
Filippo Bruno was born in 1548 in a town called Nola, near Naples. From his place of birth, he would later acquire the nickname "Nolan". At the age of 11, the boy began to take an interest in literature, logic, and dialectics, and at 15 he entered the Dominican monastery of Naples, where he spent 12 years of his life, gaining broader access to knowledge. Here, he was ordained a monk under the now-famous name Giordano, became a priest, and got into his first scandal. The monastery's superiors accused the young man of reading forbidden books and rejecting icons. Without waiting for the end of the proceedings, Bruno fled Italy. In Switzerland, he was received by the Calvinists and even enrolled at the University of Geneva, but soon he was also accused of heresy there.
After moving to Paris, Giordano became a lecturer at the Sorbonne, which he left noisily due to disputes with supporters of Aristotle's ideas. He also failed to establish himself in England; in Oxford, Bruno had a severe falling out with local professors and compared the clergy to dirt, manure, and carrion. Returning to France, he offended the inventor of the proportional eight-point compass, Fabrizio Mordente. In his usual manner, Nolan praised the invention but referred to its creator as a "triumphant fool", causing an intolerable insult. Mordente, who had influential connections, became a real threat to Giordano's life and forced him to move to Germany. In German cities, Bruno traveled with varying success; sometimes he faced restrictions on giving lectures, while at other times he successfully published his works with substantial fees. Nonetheless, despite all life's troubles, Nolan always held a high opinion of himself.
For example, in one recommendation letter, Giordano describes himself as follows:
“I am the friend of God, Giordano Bruno of Nola, doctor of the most profound theology, professor of pure and harmless wisdom, known in the main academies of Europe, recognized and honored as a philosopher, a foreigner-only among barbarians and dishonorable people, a stimulator of sleeping souls, a subduer of proud and self-satisfied ignorance; in everything, I preach universal philanthropy. I am hated by the spreaders of foolishness and loved by honest scholars”.
One way or another, it should be noted that Giordano Bruno’s uncompromising nature left no one indifferent around him. And this intransigence ultimately led him to the stake.
The burning of Giordano Bruno
In 1591, after 13 years of wandering through Europe, Giordano Bruno returned to Italy at the invitation of the Venetian aristocrat Giovanni Mocenigo to teach him mnemonics—a special art of memory in which Mocenigo was an expert. However, soon for reasons still unknown, the relationship between the student and the teacher deteriorated. It seems that Mocenigo was outraged by the true purpose of Bruno's return. It is believed that Bruno was preparing to present a completely new religious doctrine based on Hermetic philosophy, Pythagoreanism, and extreme Neoplatonism. He saw himself in it as something of a messiah.
Mocenigo, outraged, wrote a series of denunciations, informing the Inquisition about absolutely unacceptable things for that time. According to him, Giordano had called Jesus a deceiver who led people astray. He considered Christ to be performing imaginary miracles, and the apostles to be magicians, deeming their deeds insignificant; in fact, Bruno claimed he could have done more himself. The philosopher denied the Trinity, said that Mary could not have given birth while remaining a virgin, spoke disparagingly of church rituals, considered them absurd; he claimed that Jesus did not die willingly and tried to avoid death as much as possible; that there is no retribution for sins; that souls created by nature pass from one living being to another; that just as animals are born from debauchery, so are humans; that the world is eternal and there are infinite worlds; declared his intention to found a sect called "New Philosophy"; said that Catholic faith is full of blasphemies against the majesty of God; that theological disputes should stop and monks' income should be taken away because they disgrace the world; that they are all donkeys; that they have no proof of the Catholic faith's merit before God; that to live a virtuous life, it is entirely enough not to do to others what you do not wish for yourself; and finally, that he is amazed at how God tolerates so many heresies of Catholics.
The volume of heretical theses stunned the Venetian Inquisition so much that, after Giordano Bruno's arrest, they did not even dare to handle his case themselves and transferred it to Rome. There, for seven years, theologians of various kinds tried to convince the philosopher that he was wrong, finding inconsistencies and contradictions in his statements. However, Bruno, rejecting all offers of repentance, remained steadfast in his beliefs. It is quite possible that by that time Giordano was already prepared for the role of a martyr. Admitting their impotence before the heretic, the Roman Inquisition transferred the right to deliver a verdict to the secular court. During the proceedings, Bruno remained true to himself and, according to Jesuit Caspar Schoppe, he stated the following:
“He taught the most monstrous and nonsensical things, such as that worlds are countless, that the soul migrates from one body to another and even to another world, that one soul can be in two bodies, that magic is good and permissible, that the Holy Spirit is nothing other than the soul of the world, and that this is what Moses meant when he said that the waters and the world are eternal. Moses performed his miracles through magic and succeeded in it more than the other Egyptians, that Moses invented his laws, that the Holy Scripture is a ghost, that the devil will be saved. From Adam and Eve, he traces the genealogy of only the Jews. The rest of the people come from the two whom God created the day before. Christ is not God, was a famous magician… and for this, he was rightly hanged, not crucified. The prophets and apostles were worthless people and magicians, and many of them were hanged. To sum it up in one word — he defended all heresies ever preached.”
Thus, it can be noted that the heliocentric system is not mentioned anywhere; Nolano was guilty only of trampling on the fundamental doctrines of Christianity. To put it in modern terms, his beliefs offended the feelings of the faithful. For this, on February 17, 1600, Giordano Bruno was sentenced to be burned at the stake. The execution took place in Rome in the Piazza dei Fiori. According to legend, his last words before death were that he was dying a martyr voluntarily, knowing that his soul would ascend to heaven.
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