St Peter Martyr

You often see him in art, the Dominican friar standing around with an axe embedded in his skull, and probably wondered: who is that guy?

The parents of Peter of Verona (1206-52) were said to have been (or at least were sympathizers with) the Patarene sect of northern Italy. Like the Cathars of Southern France, the Patarenes believed in Dualism, that were two principles, a good creator god and his evil adversary who ruled the world. Although they considered themselves Christians, they, like the Cathars, were appalled by the worldly and corrupt medieval Papacy with its temporal powers, and refused to pray or send the Pope his tithes or take oaths or worship relics. Although the Paterenes were never as widespread in Italy as their French cousins, they were a too much of a threat to Rome to ignore. And Florence was one of their centres.