A Valentine from Italy
Happy Valentine’s Day! Actually, it is Saint Valentine’s Day. The Italian San Valentino was an early Christian priest in Rome, so it seems appropriate that I am spending this Valentine’s Day in Italy.
According to legend (and the site Catholic.org), San Valentino died a martyr to his faith on February 14 in the year 269. During his priesthood, San Valentino performed Christian marriages (forbidden at that time), which no doubt helped him become the patron saint of happy marriages, love, and engaged couples. He’s also the patron saint of beekeepers, plague, and epileptics – things for which I have no explanation. Legend has it that he once left a note, to a girl he cured of blindness, signed “your Valentine.” And so it began …
Ti amo - I love you - in chocolate
The feast of San Valentino is celebrated in Italy, as in the U.S., with flowers, chocolates, and gifts of jewelry.
We hope you enjoy browsing these brightly decorated shop windows with us!
Baci - kisses - for Valentine’s Day
Happy Valentine’s Day from Two Parts Italy.
While chicken is not typically a romantic gift, this butcher shop, which specializes in chicken, has a gaily decorated window.
Perhaps the most unusual Valentine window in Lucca features these gorillas.