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All Italy Rome St. Valentine's Skull

St. Valentine's Skull

The skull of the patron saint of lovers lies in the Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin—maybe.

Rome, Italy

Added By
Annetta Black
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The skull is flanked by flowers.   Dnalor 01/CC-BY-SA 3.0
The skull is flanked by flowers.   Dnalor 01/CC-BY-SA 3.0
Interior of Santa Maria in Cosmedin   Livioandronico2013/CC BY-SA 4.0
The church’s exterior is worth a look, too.   Dietmar Rabich/CC BY-SA 4.0
St. Valentine’s skull   AlfvanBeem/CC0 1.0
The reliquary is often lit up by candles.   Lalupa/CC BY-SA 3.0
Much of the decor was added between the 8th and 12th centuries.   Till Niermann/CC BY-SA 3.0
The church’s exterior is worth a look, too.   KlausF/Public Domain
View of the full alter   MisFitMouse / Atlas Obscura User
  esj74 / Atlas Obscura User
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
  esj74 / Atlas Obscura User
Interior of the Beautiful Church   MisFitMouse / Atlas Obscura User
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About

A skull resides in a glass reliquary in Rome's Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin, surrounded by flowers. Lettering painted across the forehead identify the owner as none other than of the patron saint of lovers, St. Valentine.

Knowing just exactly whose skull it is, though, is complicated. There was more than one Catholic saint known as Saint Valentine, and there was approximately 1500 years between those martyrs' deaths and the enthusiastic distribution and labeling of bodies in the Victorian era. Finally, and most troubling, there is the fact that no less than 10 places around the world claim to house the saint's relics.

Though not much is really known of the real men behind the myth, at least two of the Saints Valentine lived in Italy in the late 3rd century, and another in North Africa around the same time. Over time, the stories of these different men seem to have merged. Most of the mythology about Valentine centers around him being a patron of lovers. In 496, Pope Gelasius I made February 14—originally part of the Roman festival of Lupercalia—a feast day dedicated to St. Valentine.

The Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin itself is very old, standing on the site of an ancient Roman temple that dates to the second century B.C. Most of what you see today dates to the 8th and 12th centuries, including the crypt located beneath the altar.

The skull can be found in the side altar on the left side of the church. While you're there, stop by the portico to visit with the famous Bocca della Verità (mouth of truth).

Related Tags

Relics Saints Saint Valentine Memento Mori Relics And Reliquaries

Know Before You Go

Metro: Circo Massimo. This church entrance is located directly to the right of the Mouth of Truth and as with any church there, it's important for your shoulders and knees to be covered. If not, they'll place a plastic tarp over your shoulders or they will not let you gain entrance. There's a gift shop here where you can purchase miniature versions of the Mouth of Truth. To access it, you go to the Mouth of Truth, into the church, and out through the other doors. Right before you exit, the gift shop will be on your left.

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Community Contributors

Added By

Annetta Black

Edited By

pweverka, diffendale, JennaLundh, rbenn250...

  • pweverka
  • diffendale
  • JennaLundh
  • rbenn250
  • sarahdinan75
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • esj74
  • MisFitMouse

Published

February 14, 2012

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Sources
  • New Advent: St. Valentine: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15254a.htm
  • Wikipedia: Santa Maria in Cosmedin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria_in_Cosmedin
  • Sacred Destination: Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/rome-santa-maria-in-cosmedin
  • A View of Cities: Santa Maria in Cosmedin: http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/santamariaincosmedin.htm
St. Valentine's Skull
1 Via della Greca
3555 Piazza della Bocca della Verità
Rome, 00186
Italy
41.888075, 12.481633
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Fratelli Trecca

Rome, Italy

miles away

The Mithraeum at Circus Maximus

Rome, Italy

miles away

The Mouth of Truth

Rome, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Rome

Rome

Italy

Places 149
Stories 25

Nearby Places

Fratelli Trecca

Rome, Italy

miles away

The Mithraeum at Circus Maximus

Rome, Italy

miles away

The Mouth of Truth

Rome, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Rome

Rome

Italy

Places 149
Stories 25

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Where in the World Is Saint Valentine?

List

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Curious Fact of the Week: Saint Valentine, Patron Saint of Lovers, Bee Keepers, Plague, and Epilepsy

relics

By Allison Meier

St. Valentine's Many Heads, Assorted Parts

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Related Places

  • ‘Body of Saint Valentine’

    Glasgow, Scotland

    St. Valentine’s Bones

    Glasgow’s piece of the patron saint of love.

  • The bones are artfully displayed.

    Prague, Czechia

    St. Valentine’s Shoulder Blade

    A saintly relic hidden in a Prague church basement.

  • The Head of St. John the Baptist in 2001.

    Amiens, France

    The Head of St. John the Baptist at Amiens Cathedral

    The encased skull that is widely believed to belong to St. John the Baptist.

  • Look closely: The fragment is pretty small.

    Chełmno, Poland

    Pieces of St. Valentine's Skull

    The relics are stored in a silver reliquary, where they can be seen through glass.

  • St. Vincent de Paul up above the altar

    Paris, France

    The Wax and Bone Relics of Saint Vincent de Paul

    Saintly bones pressed into a wax effigy of a Catholic superstar.

  • The road to The Old St. Ferdinand Shrine in Florissant, Missouri

    Florissant, Missouri

    Old St. Ferdinand Shrine

    A wax effigy of St. Valentine hides one of the saint's relics.

  • Whitefriar Street Church

    Dublin, Ireland

    Relics of St. Valentine at Whitefriar Street Church

    Some of the saint's blood and bones are said to reside in Dublin.

  • Roquemaure church

    Roquemaure, France

    Relics of St. Valentine

    Celebrate the end of the Great French Wine Blight with a festival of kissing.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
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