Pietro was born at Piacenza between 1335 and 1340 to Giovanni del fu Gherardo and Sibillina di Francesco Fontana.
He entered the notarial profession, where he is first recorded working in private practice alongside Pietro Valla in 1357.
In 1366, he married Elena, daughter of Giovanni Pallastrelli, but she was killed by bubonic plague before the couple had any children.
[1] Pietro wrote a Chronica Placentina (Chronicle of Piacenza) covering the city's history from its legendary origins to 1370.
[2] For his earlier history, his sources are Paulus Orosius, Bede, Paul the Deacon, Martin of Opava, Riccobaldo da Ferrara, Benzo d'Alessandria, Galvano Fiamma and Giovanni Codagnello.