Juniper was a 13th-century Franciscan friar and one of the earliest companions of Francis of Assisi. Born in Assisi around 1195, he joined the Order of Friars Minor in 1210. Known for his extreme simplicity and charitable nature, he was often referred to as the "jester of the Lord" due to his eccentric and humble behavior. He spent his life serving the order, establishing new locations for the friars in places like Viterbo and Gualdo Tadino, and died in Rome in 1258.