Editing Giordano Bruno (section)

===Early years, 1548–1576===
Born Filippo <!-- please do not change to 'Giordano', which was the monastic name he took later --> Bruno in [[Nola]] (a ''[[comune]]'' in the modern-day [[province of Naples]], in the Southern Italian region of [[Campania]], then part of the [[Kingdom of Naples]]) in 1548, he was the son of Giovanni Bruno (1517 – c. 1592), a soldier, and Fraulissa Savolino (1520–?). In his youth he was sent to [[Naples]] to be educated. He was tutored privately at the Augustinian monastery there, and attended public lectures at the [[Studium Generale]].{{sfn|Singer|1968}} At the age of 17, he entered the [[Dominican Order]] at the monastery of [[San Domenico Maggiore]] in Naples, taking the name Giordano, after Giordano Crispo, his metaphysics tutor. He continued his studies there, completing his [[novitiate]], and [[Ordination|ordained]] a [[Priesthood in the Catholic Church|priest]] in 1572 at age 24. During his time in Naples, he became known for his skill with the art of memory and on one occasion traveled to Rome to demonstrate his [[mnemonic]] system before [[Pope Pius V]] and [[Scipione Rebiba|Cardinal Rebiba]]. In his later years, Bruno claimed that the Pope accepted his dedication to him of the lost work ''On The Ark of Noah'' at this time.<ref>This is recorded in the diary of one Guillaume Cotin, librarian of the Abbey of St. Victor, who recorded recollections of a number of personal conversations he had with Bruno. Bruno also mentions this dedication in the Dedicatory Epistle of ''The Cabala of Pegasus'' (''Cabala del Cavallo Pegaseo'', 1585).</ref>

While Bruno was distinguished for outstanding ability, his taste for [[Freethought|free thinking]] and forbidden books soon caused him difficulties. Given the controversy he caused in later life, it is surprising that he was able to remain within the monastic system for eleven years. In his testimony to Venetian inquisitors during his trial many years later, he says that proceedings were twice taken against him for having cast away images of the saints, retaining only a [[crucifix]], and for having recommended controversial texts to a novice.{{sfn|Aquilecchia|Montano|Bertrando|2007|p=11}} Such behavior could perhaps be overlooked, but Bruno's situation became much more serious when he was reported to have defended the [[Arianism|Arian heresy]], and when a copy of the banned writings of [[Erasmus]], annotated by him, was discovered hidden in the monastery [[latrine]]. When he learned that an [[indictment]] was being prepared against him in Naples he fled, shedding his [[religious habit]], at least for a time.<ref>Gosselin has argued that Bruno's report that he returned to Dominican garb in Padua suggests that he kept his tonsure at least until his arrival in Geneva in 1579. He also suggests it is likely that Bruno kept the tonsure even after this point, showing a continued and deep religious attachment contrary to the way in which Bruno has been portrayed as a martyr for modern science. Instead, Gosselin argues, Bruno should be understood in the context of reformist Catholic dissenters. Edward A. Gosselin, "A Dominican Head in Layman's Garb? A Correction to the Scientific Iconography of Giordano Bruno", in ''[[The Sixteenth Century Journal]]'', Vol. 27, No. 3 (Autumn, 1996), pp. 673–678.</ref>