Albert Avogadro (1149-September 14, 1214), was a canon lawyer who served as Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from 1204 until his death.

Born in Parma, Albert was educated in theology and law and served as Bishop of Bobbio until 1184, when he was appointed Bishop of Vercelli. He served the Papacy as a mediator and diplomat between Pope Clement III and Frederick Barbarossa. He served as papal legate in 1199 and helped end the war between Parma and Piacenza.

In 1204 he was named Patriarch of Jerusalem by Pope Innocent III, whom he also served as papal legate in the Holy Land. As Patriarch he helped found the Carmelite order around 1209, and mediated disputes between the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Kingdom of Cyprus, as well as between the Knights Templar and the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. In 1214, he had been invited to the Fourth Lateran Council, but was assassinated in Acre on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross by a disgruntled cleric. He is regarded as a saint by the Carmelites and as "blessed" by the Roman Catholic Church.

He was succeeded by Raoul of Merencourt.

External links

• Catholic Encyclopedia (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01261a.htm)
• Rule of the Carmelite Order (http://www.ocarm.org/eng/regoleng.htm)