Pietro da Macerata

Pietro da Macerata (d. 26 August 1307) was a Franciscan monk in the late 13th century. He was one of the founders, and later the head of the Fraticelli group, Pauperes eremitae,

He was sent to Armenia with Angelo Clareno and four other monks by Raymond Gaufridi sometime after 1289. However, the hostility of the "fratres communes" forced Pietro da Macerata and Clareno to return to Italy, where they were refused by every abbey they approached. They met Pope Celestine V at L'Aquila - he split them from the Franciscans and set up a new order of "pauperes Eremitae" (poor hermits), to be resident in Celestine monasteries. Pietro then changed his name to "Fra Liberato".