Giordano Bruno “The Furious One.”

Abstract

The article offers a detailed examination of the life, thought and condemnation of Giordano Bruno, emphasizing how the indomitable character he called “the furious one” is reflected both in his writings and in his actions throughout his intellectual journey. Using a historical–analytical approach based on biographical sources, inquisitorial records and modern scholarship, the author reconstructs Bruno’s trajectory from his entry into the Dominican order to his execution by fire in 1600. The text shows that Bruno continually clashed with religious and academic authorities due to his critical spirit, his rejection of established dogma and his defense of groundbreaking ideas such as the infinite universe, the plurality of worlds and the universal animation of matter. The article also examines his unstable relationships with various European courts, where he sought protection but never secured lasting support. Detailed attention is given to the inquisitorial trials in Venice and Rome, the propositions deemed heretical—including his stance on the Trinity, his enthusiasm for Copernican cosmology and his claim that celestial bodies are animated—and his unwavering refusal to recant. Ultimately, the study concludes that Bruno embodies the figure of a thinker who, steadfast in his convictions, chose a heroic death rather than renounce his philosophical system, becoming a symbol of intellectual freedom against dogmatic power.