ABSTRACT
Many historians have expressed their doubts about Peter of Verona. From accusations of monomania by H. C. Lea, to Michael Goodich and Grado Merlo seeing only political causes for his canonization, modern historians seem puzzled by the Dominican saint. Sometimes denigrated, at other times deprecated, many have thought that Peter was an anomaly even in his own time. Peter's cult represents one of the earliest attempts of the papacy to found and foster a Church-wide cult, and the popes employed it as a tool for both religious and political ends. Peter's cult evoked impassioned responses from defenders and detractors alike. Set against the pattern of medieval cults, Peter was both ordinary and extraordinary. Communes employed Peter to symbolize their devotion to the Friars Preachers and to secure a powerful and legitimizing patron. Opponents also fashioned their own Peter, partly in response to Dominican assertions, but also informed by their own beliefs and practices.
