Petrus Vulcanius otherwise Pieter De Smet (c. 1503 – 1571) was a humanist scholar and local government official of Bruges.
He was educated in the Bogaerdenschool in Bruges, a school for poor and abandoned children, supported by the city.
He continued his studies at the Collegium Trilingue in Leuven, where he further developed his skills in Latin and Greek.
From this time onwards he maintained relations with many humanists both in Bruges, such as Vives, Jacobus Curtius, Jan Fevijn and Joris Cassander, and many others outside the city.
On 1 February 1550 Petrus Vulcanius was appointed administrator (stadspensionaris) of Middelburg in Zeeland.