The Italian poet, writer, and Platonic philosopher Campanella joined the Dominican Order in 1583. He met Galileo Galilei and wrote a book in 1616 defending his theories. In 1596, he was accused of heresy. Meanwhile, in 1599, in an effort to free the Calabria region of Italy from Spanish rule and establish the egalitarian system he envisioned, he planned an uprising with the support of the region’s leading figures and the Ottomans. He was denounced, arrested, tried, and sentenced to life in prison.
While in prison, he wrote his utopian book titled *The Sun City*. In this book, inspired by Plato, he described a country where the rulers were enlightened individuals, the highest ruler was a philosopher-priest, every individual took on a role that benefited society, private property was prohibited, and everything was held in common. Campanella died in Paris in 1639.