Statue of Peter the Hermit

Almost nothing is known with certainty about the background of Peter the Hermit and his life before the Crusade. Before becoming a monk, he was a minor noble who owned a fief at Achères near Amiens. He was a vassal of Eustace II of Boulogne, the father of Godfrey of Bouillon. Afterwards he is said to have lived as a hermit in a forest in the diocese of Amiens.[1] He is said to have been on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and received a vision in Jerusalem that instructed him to urge the Pope to make an appeal to retake Jerusalem. He then became a popular preacher. In appearance he is described as small, with a head that resembled a mule and a black-gray beard.

Peter the Hermit (also Peter the Hermit or Peter of Amiens; French: Pierre l'Ermite; English: Peter the Hermit) (Amiens, ca. 1050 – Abbey of Neufmoustier, near Huy, 8 July 1115) was an important figure in the First Crusade and especially the People's Crusade.

A monument with an impressive preacher pose.