![]() Churches benefit greatly from any concrete link to a saint, Bitel explains. Given all this uncertainty, it is understandable many European locations claim ownership of Valentine’s remains. He says many colorful stories now linked to St. Valentine, Kelly says Chaucer’s writing instigated the tradition of lovers marking this annual feast. The author of Chaucer and the Cult of St. The first mention of Valentine’s Day as a celebration of passion was made more than a thousand years later by British author Geoffrey Chaucer, according to Henry Kelly, a professor in history and theology at UCLA. ( Learn more about how Valentine’s Day wasn’t always about love.) Instead, February 14 began as a religious feast marking the execution of a St. There also is no evidence that any of these saints performed acts that promoted romance. It seems unlikely both of those Valentines were beheaded more probable is that this gruesome incident was a single legend which became splintered, Bitel says. The other was a bishop of Terni, near Rome in central Italy, who also was decapitated by Gothicus. ![]() Another was a priest beheaded by Roman Emperor Gothicus. One of these Valentines perished in Africa. Historic texts show three saints named Valentini died on February 14 during the third century, with little known about each, according to Lisa Bitel, a professor of religion and history at the University of Southern California and one of the world’s leading experts on St. His legend is probably a mélange of the lives of several Italian holy men named Valentine and likely none of them actually inspired the annual lovers’ celebration. His tale is so murky that, despite being a recognized saint, in 1969 he was erased from the General Roman Calendar-the liturgical almanac that marks the dates of saint celebrations-due to the paucity of reliable information about his life. This lack of consensus underscores the deep mysteries surrounding Valentine. Where his true physical relics lay is unclear. ( Fall in love with 10 heart-shaped places around the world.) All in all, a dozen Catholic churches in Europe trade heavily on their claimed ownership of the remains of this celebrity saint. There his relics draw believers to the Basilica di San Valentino, the earliest version of which was supposedly built over his tomb. Then there’s Terni, reputedly Valentine’s Italian hometown.
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