I’ve just spent the morning brushing up on the history of Valentine’s Day, as you do. During my history class, I learned that an actual real person – a man called Saint Valentine – is behind the tacky holiday we know as Valentine’s Day. Not only this, I also discovered the most off-beat way to celebrate Valentine’s Day ever; you can visit his relics which reside in a tiny austere church in Rome. Who knew? Italy, as I’m discovering is full of strange treasures (see Exhibit A and Exhibit B).
The flower-crowned, candle-lit skull of the patron saint of love is hidden within the unassuming 8th-century basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, one of Rome’s more unassuming churches, with a beautiful red tower and small shady interior and some lovely frescos.
It’s also home to a strange sight called the Bocca della Verita, or ‘mouth of truth’, the church’s most famous sight. Remember the ancient sewer grate that Audrey Hepburn famously made Gregory Peck stick his hand in the 1953 film, Roman Holiday? Well, this is it.
Apparently, if you’re a dishonest person, your fingers get cut off. Thankfully, no such reports have been made. Most importantly, the famous “mouth of truth scene” helped Hepburn and Peck’s characters fall head-over-heels in love, which brings us back to the man of the hour…
The dark origins of Valentine’s Day
His tale is not an easy one to tell. Despite the modern day’s celebration filled with nice things like chocolates, hearts and date nights, the real story is dark. Also, there are so many different versions of events and the more you read, the more confusing the story becomes. Historians are constantly disagreeing over which one is true.
From what I can work out, 14 February is the day-turned-holiday that marks Saint Valentine’s tragic end, the martyr clubbed to death in Rome in 269AD. He died in the name of love, marrying in secret young lovers denied the luxury by the heartless Roman Emperor, Claudius, who believed unattached soldiers would fight better without the distraction of wives. A risky practice, word of which eventually got back to Claudius who sentenced Valentine to a three-part execution of beating, stoning, and decapitation.
It’s easy to see how the Saint Valentine legacy morphed into an annual celebration of love within the church, with Pope Gelasius I, declaring 14 February as a Christian feast day in his honour in 496. Although some historians also cite an ulterior motive to the holiday’s creation: replacing the pagan Lupercalia, a steamy fertility feast with lots of animal sacrifice and dancing.
Saint Valentine’s Remains
But wait, there’s another twist in the tale. Apparently, there was another Catholic saint known as Saint Valentine. Although with approximately 1,500 years between their deaths, no one is absolutely sure which Valentine the skull in Rome belongs to.
It’s said that Saint Valentine’s bones were discovered in the Roman catacombs during a 19th-century, and his other skeletal remains are dotted around the world, in no fewer than 10 places, including: Dublin, Ireland; Glasgow, Scotland; Chelmno, Poland; Prague, Czech Republic; Roquemaure, France; Flourissant, Missouri.
Thanks for reading!
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