Who was Saint Valentine, the saint of lovers?
February 14 is famous for being the day of lovers’ day, but who was Valentine’s Day?
A bishop and martyr known to the world as the patron saint of lovers, he was born in Terni to a patrician family in 176 A.D., converted to Christianity and was consecrated bishop of Terni in 197 A.D. He died on Feb. 14, 273 A.D.
We know that his skull is kept in a glass case in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin in Rome adorned with red roses. It is an important relic that is displayed to the faithful every February 14.
In Terni, the city that was the birthplace of St. Valentine and where he is patron today, the Feast of Promise, attended by young people about to be married and couples who have been married for years to exchange a vow of love in the Basilica dedicated to the saint, where his remains are preserved.
Who was St. Valentine, the saint of lovers
While for some the date of the holiday can be traced back to the day on which Valentine was martyred in 273, for many the choice rather depends on the Lupercalia, ancient fertility rituals celebrated in ancient Rome on February 15.
During Roman festivities, priests would enter the cave where the she-wolf was believed to have suckled Romulus and Remus, to make propitiatory sacrifices. Along the streets of the city, meanwhile, all sorts of things happened: the blood of various animals was spilled, and the names of men and women who worshipped the god Lupercus were placed in an urn and mixed.
And thereafter, a kind of child “Cupid” would randomly draw names of couples who would have to live together for an entire year to complete the fertility rite.
Clearly for the Church this kind of ritual was not at all acceptable, so it was decided to replace the god Lupercus with a man who was purer and more in keeping with Church values: Valentine was chosen. It was Pope Gelasius who wanted it in 496 AD.
Why him? Because Valentine, according to some legends, was one of the few bishops of his time to formalize unions between Christian fiancés and was an extremely devout man; he is said to have dedicated his entire life to the church, that’s who Saint Valentine was.
As for the holiday we know today, it is probably due to the association made by the writer Geoffrey Chaucer, in his poem “Parliament of the Birds,” between the occasion and the betrothal of Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia.
Who was St. Valentine, the legends
There are many legends surrounding Valentine’s Day, and among them is one that tells of the love between a young centurion named Sabinus and a noble girl from Terni named Serapia.
Although they were mutually in love they were separated by something very strong, religion. In fact, he was a pagan, while she was of the Christian faith. The girl, who wanted at all costs to marry Sabinus, went to Bishop Valentine to ask for his help in converting her beloved man to the Christian religion. Valentine was able to convince him, and so the two prepared for the wedding.
Unfortunately, shortly after the engagement, Serapia fell ill but before she died she asked Valentine to celebrate her marriage to Sabinus anyway. As the two young men promised each other eternal love, the woman died and soon after, so did the young centurion.
Another legend entitled The Rose of Forgiveness tells that Valentine was walking in his garden when he heard two boyfriends arguing. He came out of the garden with a rose in his hand and asked the two to make up by clutching the stem, but being careful not to prick themselves.
Then he told them to ask God’s forgiveness for the quarrel. In early February he celebrated their union, and from then on February 14 became the holiday of lovers and the rose a typical gift of the occasion.
Who was Saint Valentine, the saint of lovers.
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