James of the Marches was an Italian Franciscan friar, preacher, and writer born in the early 1390s in Monteprandone. After studying law at the University of Perugia, he joined the Order of Friars Minor in 1416. He spent fifty years performing spiritual work, which included serving as a papal legate and an inquisitor. Known for his austere lifestyle and his efforts to combat various heresies across Europe, he was also a significant figure in promoting devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus. He died in Naples in 1476.