He studied theology under Valerian, Bishop of Auxerre, but married a holy woman of Langres, venerated locally as Saint Martha, in order to please his parents.

When he and his bride went to church to receive the nuptial benediction, Bishop Valerian, by mistake, or, as some think, by a special interposition of Providence, pronounced over them the office of consecration to the service of God, instead of the marriage prayer.

At length he incurred the displeasure of Bishop Amator by hanging hunting trophies on a certain tree, which in earlier times had been the scene of pagan worship.

Fearing the anger of the duke, who wished to kill him, he fled and appealed to the prefect Julius for permission to confer the tonsure on Germain.

When the duke came to the church, Amator caused the doors to be barred and gave him the tonsure against his will, telling him to live as one destined to be his successor, and forthwith made him a deacon.

Driven out of Palestine by persecution, Amadour and Veronica embarked in a frail skiff and, guided by an angel, landed on the coast of Aquitaine.

After journeying to Rome, where he witnessed the martyrdoms of Peter and Paul, Amadour, having returned to France, on the death of his spouse, withdrew to a wild spot in Quercy where he built a chapel in honour of the Blessed Virgin, near which he died a little later.

The untrustworthiness of the legend has led some recent authors to suggest that Amadour was an unknown hermit or the actual bishop of Auxerre of the same name.