Peter the Venerable, also known as Peter of Montboissier, was the abbot of the Benedictine abbey of Cluny. He has been honored as a saint although he was never canonized in the Middle Ages. Since in 1
Peter the Venerable, with other monks, 13th century illuminated manuscript
Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist., venerated as Saint Bernard, was an abbot, mystic, co-founder of the Knights Templar, and a major leader in the reform of the Benedictines through the nascent Cistercian
Peter the Venerable
…tireless reformer of the Cluniac order, in the face of criticism from other orders and prominent monks and theologians, including the Cistercian monk St. Bernard of Clairvaux. His defence of his order against critics and his introduction of radical reforms, earned him the appellation of "venerable". Peter, as an associate…
San Bernardo by Juan Correa de Vivar, held in the Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain
Bernard exorcising a possession, altarpiece by Jörg Breu the Elder, c. 1500
Bernard holding a demon at his feet, oil on canvas by Marcello Baschenis, c. 1885
The abbey of Cluny as it would have looked in Bernard's time