William of Montevergine was an Italian nobleman born in Vercelli around 1085. After embarking on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, where he practiced penance by wearing an iron implement, he sought a life of solitude. He eventually settled on Monte Vergine, where he established the Congregation of Monte Vergine. Supported by Roger II of Sicily, he founded several monasteries in the region. Later, in 1128, he moved to Goleto to found the Abbey of San Guglielmo al Goleto, where he remained until his death in 1142.