December 12, 1562 - Italian Protestant Reformer Peter Martyr Vermigli Dies

In Italy during the Protestant Reformation, the power of the Catholic Church was absolute. However, Peter Martyr Vermigli was an Italian theologian who often wrote and thought contrary to the Church’s decrees. His work is often overlooked, but it contributed greatly to the overall sentiment of the Reformation. He fled Italy and went to England so he could write and worship freely. Eventually Bloody Mary was on the throne and he had to flee to Switzerland. He died in Zurich on December 12, 1562.