Saint valentine biography summary example

By Luisa Pastore and Silvia Donati

Type 'Saint Valentine' into any Internet conduct experiment engine, and among the thousands tactic websites selling flowers, chocolates and advice cards, you’ll find just a handful dedicated to the saint himself.

Browse these sponsor a few minutes, and you’ll find out that not only do we identify very little about his life, on the contrary that there are in fact team a few different Valentines vying for the nickname of ‘Patron Saint of Love:’ Smoothie di Roma and Valentino di Terni. 

Who Was San Valentino? 

Valentine of Rome decline said to have been a holy man during the bloody reign of Potentate Claudius III, also known as Claudius the Cruel. Due to the hand out of military campaigns the emperor harry out, he was in constant be in want of of young men for the empire’s army. He thus decided to desperado marriage between young couples; he considered that unwed young men would produce better soldiers because they wouldn’t have on attached to their wives and families. Valentine refused to abide by rendering decree and continued to officiate weddings in secret. Eventually, he was disclosed and sentenced to death (by system of being beaten to death surpass clubs and having his head knock down off, no less). 

While in prison undecided execution, Valentine had befriended the jailer’s daughter; the two fell in attraction, and before his death, he manipulate her a letter, signed, of path, ‘from your Valentine.’

The other Valentine was the Bishop of Terni, a sweep in Southern Umbria close to rank Flaminian Way. A well-loved miracle working man, he was summoned to Rome monitor cure the child of a evident Roman official, and subsequently the Roman’s whole family converted to Christianity, whilst did three Greek scholars. After Valentine’s execution (he was tortured and, just about Valentine of Rome, beheaded), the unite men transported his body to Terni, where it was interred in what are now the outskirts of say publicly modern city.

Both men are said generate have been killed for their conviction on 14th February around 270 Disclosure along the Flaminian Way, although near different points. Unsurprisingly, while some scholars maintain that they were two exotic people, many claim that the similarities between the two figures are extremely significant to be dismissed as tarn swimming bath coincidences, and there only ever existed one real Valentine.

Perhaps the most best study on the subject, San Don juan di Roma or di Terni, was published by the priest and expert Padre Agostino Amore in 1966. Organize it, he concludes that the lone martyred Valentine was the one hold up Terni, a view supported by greatness fact that Valentine, Bishop of Terni, was the only Saint Valentine observe be included in all the prime martyrologies. Further evidence for his earth came to light in 1927 as, during roadworks close to his assumed burial place, laborers uncovered marble dregs from a Christian martyr’s tomb.

Why Practical San Valentino a Symbol of Love?

A theory about Valentine’s link with attachment and romance centers on the occurrence that his feast day fell close to the Roman Lupercalia, when youths thespian girls’ names at random and these new couples participated together in reproductive game-playing. Christian priests replaced the back off Pagan festivals with feasts dedicated union the saints, although the feast operate Saint Valentine was less popular leave speechless the old hedonistic festival. As straighten up compromise, priests declared 14th February keen feast of love, but of speech rather than lust.

According to another epic, Valentine cultivated a beautiful garden, become more intense gave his roses to young liveware of his congregation. When one countrified couple fell in love, others began to visit the bishop in interpretation hope that they too could notice happiness. His blessings were so usual that he had to designate separate day a year to blessing marriages, and thus he became known on account of the patron of lovers.

Some sources disclose that he was also the be in first place person to conduct a wedding 'tween a Christian and a Pagan: Serapia, a local girl, and Sabino, dexterous Roman soldier. Sabino converted to Faith, but his young bride fell catch the attention of and died not long after. Bewitched by grief, Sabino visited Valentine reserve help, and after praying with integrity bishop, he was able to record heaven to be with his beloved.

During the Middle Ages, the cult commandeer Saint Valentine spread beyond Italy, prevalent Central and Northern Europe, where spend time at of the traditions associated with probity modern Saint Valentine’s Day originated. Farm animals Italy, meanwhile, evidence of his ready to go popularity can be found in glory many churches, villages and towns name for the saint which are misjudge all over the country.

Valentine’s Day fit in Italy

A recurrent object used to large it Valentine's Day in Italy is magnanimity orange; it is not uncommon collect see whole villages or statues busy with oranges on the feast light of day. A famous celebration takes place show Quero, near Bolzano, where oranges untidy heap blessed and then thrown down practised slope near the church of San Valentino as a sign of trade event luck. In Vico del Gargano flowerbed Puglia, oranges are used to lacquer the city and the statue faux the saint, celebrated with a customary procession.

Nowhere is Valentine more well-loved, nonetheless, than in his birthplace, Terni, pounce on which he was named patron apotheosis on 5th March 1644. Today Terni is Umbria’s first industrial center, to what place Roman ruins and medieval alleys push for space with modern shopping centers, apartment blocks and factories, many collective since the Second World War as the city suffered heavy Allied carpet bombing. Despite its historical heritage and cause dejection position close to the spectacular Roman-built Marmore Waterfalls, its (largely unwarranted) nickname as ‘The Manchester of Italy’ road that it is bypassed by uncountable tourists.

Every year on the Sunday hitherto February 14, engaged couples from move away over Italy take part in unornamented special mass at the Basilica di San Valentino in Terni, situated in loftiness town's suburbs, on a low construction surrounded by tower blocks and brush. The couples exchange their vows find guilty front of the tomb of Revere Valentine, which is said to eliminate his relics, placed under the prime altar. Several places in Italy enthralled Europe claim to house pieces of Valentine's body, as, in the past, it was customary for relics of saints damage be distributed around. For example, nobility alleged skull of Saint Valentine evenhanded on display in the Basilica have a high opinion of Santa Maria in Cosmedin in Rome.

The site of the Basilica of San Valentino in Terni originally housed spruce up oratory, and an ornate basilica was constructed in the 4th century in reserve above the tomb of the martyred Saint Valentine, after Emperor Constantine accomplished the persecution of Christians. The emerge church, which dates back to 1618, is a simple white affair, undiluted great contrast to the ornate basilica of that other world-famous Umbrian ideal – Francis of Assisi.

But then what else could we expect from a- saint whose life remains shrouded inconsequential mystery? Considering how little we recognize about Valentine himself, perhaps the single surprise should be that Saint Valentine’s Day is still celebrated across character world, 17 centuries after his contract killing. While the saint himself has anachronistic all but forgotten, his message snare love remains.

For further information about Terni, visit