Tag: St. Valentine

Happy Valentine

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Most people visit the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin only to see the Mouth of Truth.

Even when approaching the church, visitors often forget to admire the medieval facade with its seven open arches, seven windows and slender Romanesque belltower (added in the 12th century), as they ponder the long line snaking out from the portico.

Should we wait? Or shouldn’t we?

Whether one decides to take their place in the interminable line to place their hand between the jaws of the stone face’s mouth or not, a short visit to the church should be in order.

Santa Maria in Cosmedin was founded during the sixth century on the site of an ancient temple dedicated to Hercules Invictus which was last rebuilt in the 2nd century BC.

With its name being derived from the Greek word, kosmidioin, meaning ornamented, it would be expected that the interior would be one decorated beautifully. Though that was once the case, the minor basilica’s only surviving enhancements are some floor mosaics, a bishop’s chair, a ceremonial canopy and the medieval choir enclosure.

The church’s main draw, however, is the glass shrine with the skull of St. Valentine, patron saint of love, located on the left side of the church. Once located in the lower level crypt, the remains of the martyr, who now lends his name to the holiday we celebrate on February 14 (the day of his death) can be admired on its own altar. The skull wears a wreath of flowers and has a stenciled inscription across the skull.

Though there are ten St. Valentine’s listed in the Roman Catholic register of saints, the one whose skull resides in Santa Maria in Cosmedin church is believed to be a holy priest who assisted St. Marius in giving aid to the martyrs persecuted under Claudius II. After being summoned by the Emperor to Rome, demanded to renounce his faith and refusing, he was beaten and beheaded.

The church is quite small but make sure not to miss the ancient Crypt of Adrian I, located under the presbytery. Created between the years of 772 and 795, it is a small space divided into three naves by six columns and reminiscent of a small basilica. There is a small altar at the far end and it is believed that the crypt once housed other relics (Cirilla, Adauctus, Valentino, Adriano, Amelia, Antonino, Clemenza, Generous, Ottavio, Patrick, Olympia and St. John Baptist de Rossi). According to legend, an ancient tunnel once connected the crypt to the catacombs on the Appian Way.

Santa Maria in Cosmedin is located adjacent to Circus Maximus and just across the river from the Trastevere, the funky bohemian area of Rome filled with restaurants, shops and of course, more churches.

Make sure to include it in your day of sightseeing…then you can say you had a Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Santa Maria in Cosmedin