| This eminent Saint, renownedworldwide, was a priest in Rome, where he died a martyr; he was also a friend of Emperor Claudius II, known as the Gothic, under whose ruling a violent persecution of Christians took place, following the oppression, similarly gruesome, of Emperor Gallienus, marked by peace and freedom and the return of their confscated cemeteries and properties to the Christians. St. Valentine was accused and arrested by the Senate and then questioned by the Emperor Claudius, who, hower, praised him publicly for the wisdom of his doctrine: therefore, the Saint received, as punishment, only the restriction to live in the house of Judge Asterius. Here, he converted the whole family and, miraculously, cured the judge's daughter blindness; then, he fell platonically in love whit her but decided to respct his faithfulness to the religious Ministry. For this onorable act, he was sentenced to death. From prison, e was able to send a farewell message to the girl, signed "from your Valentine" and delivered to her father. He was beheaded in Rome on February 14, 270 A.D. The Marquis of Gagliati, lord and governor of Palmoli, otained in 1824 the transfer of his body to the town's church. |