Peter Martyr of Verona
1205/1206 - 06.04.1252

A brief biography.

Peter Martyr, also called Peter of Verona, -  Italian San Pietro Martire or San Pietro da Verona -, was born 1205 or 1206 in Verona, Lombardy. His parents were members of the Cathari
. Peter studied at the University of Bologna, and was accepted into the Dominican Order by Saint Dominic about 1221. Peter gained his initial reputation as preacher in Lombardy. After receiving what he regarded as divine inspiration, he resumed his evangelization with such fervour that Pope Gregory IX appointed him General inquisitor about 1232. In this capacity he preached against the Cathari throughout northern and central Italy, and his success provoked powerful enemies among them. Peter himself influenced and founded various confraternities to combat heresies. He served as prior the Dominican priory of Asti in 1240, of Piacenza in 1241, and of Como in 1251, the year that Pope Innocent IV named him papal inquisitor.

 

When returning from Como to Milano, he met a certain Carino who with some other Manicheans had plotted to murder him on 6th April 1252.  The assassin struck him with an axe on the head with such violence, that Peter fell half dead. The murderer then pierced his heart. The body was carried to Milano and laid in the church of St. Eustorgio, where a magnificent mausoleum, the work of Balduccio Pisano, was erected to his memory. He wrought many miracles when living, but they were even more numerous after his martyrdom, so that Innocent IV canonized him on 25 March, 1253 and him named patron of inquisitors.


 Philately

Peter Martyr of Verona on paintings

Allegri di Correggio
ca 1489-05.03.1534

 

Painting by the Italian Allegri di Correggio (ca 1489-05.03.1534):
Sacra Conversazione (285x190) preserved in the Gemäldegalerie in Dresden.
At the right near the Virgin Peter Martyr.

 

Cambodia 1984, Mi 623 ; Sc 536.
 

Same picture: Gambia 1995, Mi 2273; Laos 1984, Mi Bl 104,765; Sc 573 ?

Madagascar 1984, Mi Bl 25, 950. Malagasy Republic 1984, Sc (685-89).

 


Gerolamo da Cremona
1451-1483

 

 

Painting by Gerolamo da Cremona (1451-1483) in the cathedral
of Viterbo.
On the left Peter Martyr.

 

 

 

Sovereign Military Order of Malta (S.M.O.M.) 1996,
Sassone block 48.

 

 


 

Domenichino

10.1581-06.04.1641

see Zampieri

 


 

Filippo Lippi
1406/09-09/10/1469

 

Painting by Fra Filippo Lippi (1406-09.10.1469): Madonna dell' Umilità con angeli e santi carmelitani;  of the Madonna of Humility.

In early time it belongs to the collection of Trivulzio, now preserved in the Museo Castello Sforzesco. Milano, and too named the Trivulzio Madonna, after the name of the previous owner.
Probably painted
(oil on panel, 85x168 cm., ca 1431), when Fra Lippi was living in the monastery Santa Maria del Carmine, and destined for the altar of the Carmelite Saints Angelo and Alberto around the Virgin.
But probably there are  two figures from the Dominican history
at the right.



One had a cleaver in his head and that is the symbol of the Dominican Peter Martyr.
Near him a Saint with lily on his shoulder, like Saint Dominic, but both with a white (Carmelite) cloak!  Is that for the colour on the painting or a sign of the heavenly situation?
Tempera on panel in form of a timpano, 85 x 168 cm., ca 1431.
Preserved in the Museo del Castello Sforzesco, Milano, since 1934.

Sierra Leone 2001, Mi 4142, Sc 2511.

 


   

Fra Angelico

ca.1395-18.02.1455

 

EM 1: San Pietro Martire Triptych, 1428/29,
detail.
Tempera on panel, 137 x 168 cm.

Painting for the church San Domenico of the Dominican priory in Fiesole.
Now preserved in the Museo di San Marco, Firenze.
Peter Martyr to the right.

 

Uganda 1989, Mi 756,761; Sc 741.

 

 

 

 

EM 29: Madonna della Stella  (84x51 cm, 1434). The predella shows
at the left Peter of Verona; in the middle Saint Dominic and on the right
Saint Thomas Aquinas. Preserved in
Museo di San Marco, Firenze.

Gambia 1991, Mi 1290, Sc 1168.

 

 

EM 33:

 

 

EM 34:
The coronation of the Virgin, ca. 1434/1435. Tempera
on panel, 112 x 114 cm.

Many Dominican Saints.

 

 

 

Dominic and a to me  unknown Dominican at the left. Peter Martyr with red lines on his head, against the frame of the painting and a me unknown Dominican. The virgin with the habit with stars at the right is Saint Agnes, not Catherine of Siena. 


Galleria degli Uffici, Firenze.

Grenada 1997, Mi Bl 480 ; Sc 2732. Also: Dominica 1996, Mi Bl 318, Sc 1907.

 

 

EM 60 A: Pala di San Marco (San Marco Altarpiece), ca 1439-1442. Tempera on panel, 220 x 227 cm.
Cosimo de' Medici gave the Dominicans of San Marco
in Firenze an altarpiece for their church.

 

The choose of Saints was based on Cosimo's Patron Saints, Cosmas and Damian (at the foot of the Virgin), his brother's namesake, Lorenzo, and saint Mark, the patron saint of the
church (on the left). On the right St. Dominic, St. Francis
and St. Peter Martyr.

Preserved in the Museo di San Marco, Firenze.

 

Central African Republic 1981, Mi 806 and Bl 161; Sc C262B.

On the block the painting without the predella.

 

The same painting, but only the right side: Antigua and
Barbuda 1991, Mi 1589, Bl 220; Sc
1512.

The mention on the stamp 'The adoration of the Magi' (Cook Tondo) is wrong.

 

 

 

 

EM 74, Annunciation, 176 x 148 cm,

ca 144. Museo di San Marco, fresco in cell 3. San Marco, Firenze.

Peter Martyr at the left.

 

Gambia 1991, Mi 1289; Sc 1167.

 


 

 

EM 81,The presentation of Christ at the temple, (151 x 131 cm),
ca 1440-1441
, fresco in cell 10. preserved in the Museo
di San Marco,
Firenze.

Peter Martyr at the left.

 

Gambia 1991, Mi 1288, Sc 1166.

 


 

EM 101: The Crucifixion, 550 x 950 cm., 1441/1442. Fresco in
the
Chapter Room of the priory of San Marco, Firenze.

Peter Martyr to the right.

 

 

Nicaragua 1968, Mi 1479 and 1485 (with overprint);Sc C649.

 

 

Fra Angelico painted Peter Martyr 31 times as single or in a group.



Piero della Francesca
c 1420-12.10.1492

Painting by Piero della Francesca (ca 1420-12.10.1492): The Sacred Conversation, 248 x 170 cm:The Madonna with Child, Angels, Saints and Federico da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino, 1470.
P
reserved in the Pinacoteca di Brera, Milano.

The third man at the right is Peter Martyr of Verona.


Turks and Caicos 2003, Mi Bl 229, Sc 1444.

The same painting issued Ajman 1972, Mi 1943, Sc -- ;
San Marino 1992, Mi 1520; Sc
1270a; Sovereign Military Order of Malta (S.M.O.M.) 1992, Sassone 416, block 38; Uganda 1991, Mi Bl 152.

 

 


 

Lippo Vanni
14 th century
 

Triptych by Lippo Vanni (14th century) for the church of the Dominicans in Siena, now preserved in the Pinacoteca Vaticana, Rome.

 

The post office department of Italy thought that the Dominican at the left on this triptych was Saint Dominic and printed his name and data. Dominic in the middle, Thomas Aquinas at the right en Peter martyr of Verona at the left.

 
Vatican City 1971, Mi 586, Sc 509.

 

 

 


 

 

 Titian Vecellio

 

Painting by Tiziano Vecellio (1488/90-1576): Martyrdom of  St. Peter
Martyr
; in 1867 lost by fire in the Dominican church Sts. Giovanni
e Paolo (Zanupoli) in Venezia.
In this church now a copy.

 

Sierra Leone 1988, mi 1115; Sc 993.

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Bartolomeo Vivarini
c 1432-1499

 

 

Painting by Bartolomeo Vivarini (ca 1432-1499):
Madonna
and Child enthroned, surrounded by Saints (1465). with Augustin, Rochus, Luis of Toulouse, Nicholas, Catherine  of Alexandria, Mary of Magdalen and at the top left  Saint Dominic and at the right
Peter Martyr.

Cook Islands 1990, Mi Bl 197, 1316; Sc 1046.

 

 

 

 


 

 

Domenico Zampieri
  1581-05.04.1641

 

Painting by Domenichino (Domenico Zampieri(10.1581-06.04.1641): Martyrium of Peter Martyr, oil on canvas (345 x 236 cm), 1618-1620
Pinacoteca Nazionale in Bologna.

 

Cambodia 1985, Mi 706, Sc 629.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Unknown Artists

 

The Catholic Kings of Spain with at the left Thomas of Torquemada

and at the right Peter Martyr of Verona by an unknown Castilian
painter, 15th century, panel 123x112 cm. As painter is named Michel
Sittow (Zittoz), 1469-24.12.1525 from Reval  (Tallin), pupil of Hans
Memling and appointed court painter of the Catholic Kings in 1492.
The panel is preserved in the Prado Museum, Madrid.

 

Guyana 1987, Mi 1830, Sc 1789.

Also Grenada 2000, Mi 4455, Sc 3000.a.

 

 

 

Painting by unknown artist of the Italian School 16th century.
Peter Martyr at the right.
The text on the top of the painting: The Lemberg Painting-Galery.

Gemälde Galery Lemberg.

 

Ukraine 1998. Mi Bl 11, Sc 306.

 

 

 


 

Peter Martyr of Verona on reliefs.

Dominican saints, among them Peter Martyr, on the façade (1670)
of the Dominican church
of Maria Rotunda in Wien.

 

Austria 1966, Mi 1202, Sc 757.

 

 

 

 


Other stamps and postmarks.

                                                                   

Third centenary of the sanctuary of Peter Martyr

in Seveso, Italy.

 

Italy 1985. Postmark Seveso 05.05.1985,

with portrait of Peter Martyr.

 

 

 

750th year of the murder of Peter of Verona

with his portrait.

 

Italy 2002. Postmark Seveso 05.05.2002.

 

 

  
 

 

 

First centenary of the philatelic manifestation Veronafil. 
On the stamp the logo of Veronafil and picture of Peter Martyr.

 

Italy 2003, Mi 2912, Sc 2551.

With postmark Verona 9.5.2003.

 

 

 

 


 

A church was built a long time ago on the hill in the Steinsel village centre, atop the ruins of a Romen villa and a merovingian tomb. A sketch made in 1571 by the abbot Bertels of the Münster Abbey shows a chapel with a rather simple architecture. It was replaced by a three-nave church later.
 

Dominique-Henri de Neunheuser, vicar of Steinsel, bought in 1785 two stone altars from the Dominican monastery of Marienthal, which had been suspended under the reign of Emperor Joseph II of Austria. One of the altars featured a stone statue of St. Peter of Milano. That's how the veneration of this saint came to Steinsel. Still today a procession in his honour is held on Whitsun Monday in Steinsel.
 

7th centenary of the dead of Peter Martyr. The stone statue of Peter Martyr in the church of Steinsel, Luxembourg.

  

Luxembourg 1965. Postmark Steinsel 07.06.1965.

 


 

There are many priories and churches dedicated to Peter Martyr:

the Dominican priory in Toledo.

 

 

 


 

 

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