The Reformation in Italy
Overview
Protestants in Italy? Yes, indeed. Italians had a long and proud tradition of being independently-minded in all matters, religion included. A number of Italian city-states were specifically anti-papal, though more on political than on religious grounds. Moreover, a variety of reform movements had originated in Italy itself, not least of which was the Franciscans and more particularly the Spiritual Franciscans. In the 1490s Florence produced a famous reformer, Savonarola, who denounced the pope and the corruption in Rome. Finally, there were enclaves of more radical sects such as the Waldensians, who found homes in northern Italy. In general the north had a stronger tradition than did the Papal States or Naples.
There was, therefore, sympathy at a number of levels for reform in Italy. Certain Italian princes and cities had a tradition of harboring fugitives from papal authority. Once the Italian wars began, they extended this to include refugees from French authority (it was, after all, to Italy that both John Calvin and Michael Servetus had intended to flee). The universities and the humanists alike were sympathetic not only to the programme of the northern reformers but also to their scholarship and erudition.
You might instead now be wondering why Italy didn't turn Protestant completely, in view of the comments above. While certain conditions allowed for a surprising amount of dissent and even virulent criticism of the Catholic Chuch, other conditions made an actual break with Rome on the Northern model extremely difficult and unlikely. Especially in northern Italy, the city-states and principalities already had a firm hold over the local episcopate. An overturn of that system would mean an overthrow of their own entrenched powers and privileges.
... unfinished as of 12-15-2006.