ABSTRACT
By 1244 Peter of Verona had made his mark amid the shifting and uncertain conditions of thirteenth-century Italy. Local bishops, communes, and even the pope sought to employ his services. His reputation as an effective and loyal servant of the papacy won him special commissions, first as a mediator, then as an appointed papal inquisitor. Peter played the lead role in organizing popular resistance to the Ghibelline party, which was now committed to defending Baro. His magnetic preaching style was an instant success in the piazzas of Florence. While in Florence Peter did more than just incite street brawls. An early legend connected him with the founding of the Friar Servants of Mary, otherwise known as the Servites. In Milan in 1249 the provincial chapter absolved Peter of his priorate at Asti and he began an eventful tenure in Piacenza. With Peter's eventful mission, in Florence concluded, he returned to his home in Milan.
