Post #6460

Meanwhile, Claudius, wanting to know how Valentine's trial had gone, knowing that even Asterius with all his family had converted to Christianity for the miracle that took place on his daughter, immediately sent a handful of soldiers to jail them all: their stay in prison was short-lived, because martyrs soon died for faith in Christ. There remained the priest Valentine, who would have gladly given himself to death if he had not feared a rebellion; then, he gave it into the hands of the judges, to be judged according to the law. Before dying, the Saint had to undergo the heavy chains of a dark and fetid prison, endured many and cruel beatings, and finally was condemned to be beheaded outside the city in the Via Flaminia around the year 270. A certain matron named Savinilla (or Sabinilla) collected the body of the Saint, and buried it on the second mile of the Via Flaminia (today Viale Maresciallo Pilsudski) near the city gate, which over the years was called "the door of Saint Valentine". On his tomb, a basilica was built in his honour by Pope Julius I (336-352); it was rebuilt by Pope Honorius I (625-638), enlarged by Pope Benedict II (684-685) and had a monastery annexed at the time of Pope Nicholas II (1059-1061). In the XIII century the relics of St. Valentine, most likely, were brought to the Basilica of Santa Prassede and placed in the Oratory of St. Zenone. Here the relics of Saints Zeno and Valentine were in a marble ark from which they were removed in 1699. The Roman Diary (1926) recalls the exhibition of the relics in the adjacent chapel of the Column. In the chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas of Tolentine in the Basilica of Saints Trifone and Augustine in Campo Marzio, part of the remains of a presbyter named Valentine are visible at the altar.