Valerio of Bierzo

Valerio of Bierzo (or Valerius of Bierzo; c. 630–c. 695 ) was an ascetic hermit and monk from the Bierzo region of Visigothic Spain. A number of his writings still survive, including three short autobiographical works in which he complains about his many sufferings.

Life Valerio was a member of the Visigothic aristocracy. In his writings Valerio describes how, after an eventful youth, he retired from the world seeking a more spiritual life. After falling out with a local priest, some well-wishers built a church for him on an estate called Ebronanto where he lived as a hermit in a cell by the altar, receiving food and other supplies from the family owning the estate. However, the head of this estate, a man called Ricimer, pulled the church down and built a new one, apparently with the intent of employing Valerio as a priest. An inscription, extant in the church of San Pedro, calls him "sanctus" (saint), which at that time was simply a title of honor. some short works of monastic instruction; and a small body of poetry.