Peter (Pierre), Archbishop of Narbonne
Peter (Pierre), archbishop Of Narbonne the son of Ameli, was born in the last half of the 12th century. He was at first clerk of Saint-Nazaire of Beziers; canon, chamberlain, grand archdeacon of Narbonne; then elected archbishop in the month of March, 1226. The extermination of the Albigenses having ended the war so long prosecuted against these people, Peter used all his efforts to pacify his diocese. But observing the method practiced in his time, he seized, according to that custom, all the goods which had belonged to the heretics, made all the inhabitants of Narbonne take oath to massacre any one who should dare in the future to separate himself from the Roman orthodoxy, and in order to watch over, discover, and point out all the dissenters, introduced in 1231 into the city of Narbonne the St. Dominican friars. But the Albigenses were conquered, not subdued. An occasion having offered in 1234, the inhabitants rose in insurrection, and drove out their archbishop. Vainly he excommunicated them. In order to return to his metropolis, after about a year's exile, Peter was obliged to descend to conditions. The insurgents imposed upon him, among others, that of expelling from their city the Brother Preachers, and under his eyes, for greater safety, they invaded the convent of these brothers and put them to flight. Peter dared not recall them. Yet he was a prelate energetic in his designs, courageous in his conduct, who had the tem, perament of a man of arms, and who oftener faced perils than turned his back upon them. In 1238 he made a campaign against the Moors with Jayme I, king of Aragon, and, according to the Chronique of Albaric, he took an active part in the battles fought under the walls of Valence. The following year he raised other troops, and at their head went to drive from Carcassonne Raymond de Tancarvel and some other lords in revolt against the king of France. He was less fortunate in his attempt against Aimeric; the latter drove him from Narbonne in 1242. Finally, in 1243, we see the archbishop Peter making the siege of the chateau of Montsegur, and taking it from the heretics. This was the last exploit of this belligerent prelate. He died at Narbonne May 20, 1245. See Gallia Christiana, volume 6, col. 65; Hist. Litt. de la France, 18:331; Vaissette, Hist. du Languedoc, 3:352; Alberic, Chronicon, ad ann. 1239; Gulielmus de Podio, Hist. bellor. adversus Albigenses, c. 39, 40 sq. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, 40:195.
