Descrizione
The Oratory of the Holy Trinity in Sassocorvaro is a building that tends to blend in with the others flanking it. Walking along the narrow street onto which it faces, you might not even notice it.
Nor does the interior appear to have any features striking enough to catch the eye. Yet a surprise awaits any visitor who decides to step inside.
The Oratory is in fact better known as the Church of St Valentine, as it houses the relic of the patron saint of lovers.
A relic at the centre of debate: a long-running dispute has seen Sassocorvaro and the city of Terni contest the authenticity of the martyr’s remains. Following numerous investigations, there is now no doubt as to the authenticity of the Sassocorvaro relics, whose journey from Rome to Sassocorvaro is well documented.
The story of Saint Valentine is intertwined with legend. It is said, in fact, that the Saint would give young people who came to visit him a rose plucked from his garden, which became a symbol of eternal love. The fame of this patron saint of lovers grew to such an extent that countless couples from all over Italy travelled to receive his blessing, forcing Valentine to choose a single day on which to bestow it.
However, the day chosen did not correspond to the current 14th of February, which is in fact the date on which the saint was brutally murdered in 273. The presence of this priceless relic lends Sassocorvaro a unique atmosphere, steeped in romance and passion.
The Church of St Valentine crowns a village that is, by its very nature, steeped in romantic atmosphere and offers itself to couples in love as the ideal place to stroll hand in hand. Clutching one another as they wander through the narrow alleyways, locked in an embrace, their gaze drifts over the poetic landscape overlooking Lake Mercatale and the whole of the Montefeltro region.
