ANDREA GREGO da PESCHIERA, blessed. — Dominican, born in 1400 to poor peasants at Peschiera del Garda, died between 16 and 19 January 1485. He took the Dominican habit at Brescia and completed his studies in philosophy and theology at the convent of S. Marco in Florence. For approximately 45 years he devoted his apostolic activity and preaching to Valtellina, hence the appellation “apostle of Valtellina.” He preached in Engadine and even in the valleys of the Rhine. From 1445 he devoted himself to founding a convent at Morbegno. Pius VII approved his cult on 23 September 1820. Feast in the Order of Preachers on 19 January.
BIBL.: Anon., Raccolta delle gesta e culto del beato Andrea, Venice 1752; A. M. Chiesa, Vite di alcuni Beati... della Valtellina, Milan 1752; Acta SS. Maii, V, Paris 1866, pp. 627–30; G. A. Tam, Santi e Beati in Valtellina, Como 1923, pp. 175–203.