What You'll See If You Spend Valentine's Day in Italy, Seeing St Valentine's Relics In Terni, the city of lovers!

Problem
Was St Valentine a real person? If so, where is he buried?

Answer
St Valentine of Terni was a bishop in the 3rd century AD, in Italy. Here's a map of Italy showing Umbria, the heart of Italy.

St Valentine
St Valentine was in Italy, in Terni, which has his relic. What a lovely idea for Valentine's day or any anniversary. A trip to Italy to the city of lovers to see St Valentine.

You can see places associated with two romantic saints. St Francis of Assisi, who preached to people and talked to birds and animals, used to visit Terni to give sermons, on his way from his home in Assisi to Rome in the years 1208-1209.

A third saint is of interest to romantic travellers! In Terni, outside the church of St Christopher, (patron saint of travellers!) St Francis used to stop to preach. The statue of St Francis is outside on a stone column.

Murals about St Francis and his life are on the cloister walls of the Santa Maria Della Grazie church.

Basilica of St Valentine in Terni, City of Lovers, Italy. Photo from Wikitravel.

List of Sights To See In Or Near Terni
1 Basilica di San Valentino.
(Basilica of Saint Valentine.)

2  Marmore Waterfalls. Balcone degli innamorati.
Marmore Waterfall (in Italian Cascata - Italian for cascade, del Marmore, of Marmore) is one of the highest in Europe and your destination is the balcony of lovers. Paths lead you to two areas of the waterfall (heeled shoes not advised, nor ballet pumps) including the balcony behind the falls (like Niagara) where the spray will soak you, so leave a change of clothes in your car.

It is about 8 km (5 miles) outside the city centre. The city of Terni as a 17th cathedral, a 12th century church of St Francis, and several more churches and grand buildings.

Terni - city hall
Photo author Starlight in Wikipedia:

What do these round-topped, tall arches on Terni city hall remind me of? Etruscans in Perugia. (See picture below.)

Archaeological museum, Terni, Umbria, Italy. Photo in Wikipedia is public domain.

Roman reamins are on the outskirts of the city of Terni.

Terni was an important industrial area, once known as the Manchester of Italy. The result of wartime bombing means it is now known for postwar architecture as well as the old sights which attract tourists.

Terni and Umbria Hotels Highly Rated, Look Good, On My Shortlist
Hotels with Swimming pools and Spas
Borgo Brufa Spa Resort
Via del Colle, 38, 06089, Brufa di Torgiano, PG, Italy.
(In Feb 2018 offering one night b and b for 2 persons including spa from £191; about £226 for one night, 2 persons half board.) Modern hotel with indoor-outdoor pool with underwater jets - terrific. I loved it.
Amusing or Amazing
Converted prison in Terni.

Check out Terni on Wikipedia and Wikitravel. Wikitravel is not an extract but entirely different. Another useful source is Tripadvisor.

Also in Umbria visit Perugia, a hilltop city with a huge Etruscan gate against the cliffside.

Impressive Etruscan Gateway to Perugia, capital of Umbria. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Perugia, Italy. Murals are on walls and ceilings all over the Umbrian region in religious buildings, civic buildings and museums, depicting local characters and saints, especially St Francis of Assisi. 

Perugia city in Umbria, Italy: underground city of the Etruscans. Wikipedia.

Side Trips And Two Centre Holidays
If you have lots of time and money, stay in Perugia, go north in Italy to Verona to see Juliet's balcony, and to the West coast in Tuscany to see Florence, or north to Rome.

Where To Marry In Italy?
If you want to get married, or renew your vows, two venues might appeal:
Small - smallest working theatre: Teatro Della Concordia, at Monte Castello di Vibio.
Grand - restored castle, Castello Di Monterone, Perugia.

Perugia, Umbria

Romantic hotels in Umbria include the Castello (castle) di Monterone, Perugia, is on the hilltop outside overlooking the city of Perugia. Perugia is on a series of peaks like many hilltop cities.

Assisi

You can see two major sights connected with St Francis in Assisi, his birthplace and his venerated burial place.

Another two-centre option would be combining a tour of Umbria (including Terni, Perugia, Assisi,  a St Francis trail by car, bike or on foot, and the wine and olive museums in Torgiano) with a tour of Tuscany (Florence for David statue and art gallery, Pisa's tower, Sienna horse race city, Chianti wineries).

UK Italian Restaurant Alternatives
If you have less time and money and are in London, England, can't afford a trip to Italy, London is full of Italian restaurants. Consider Osteria Modigliani in Pinner, Middlesex (see my two posts). Another three in nearby Hatch End include Dona Teresa (see other posts).

Tips
Today I clicked on the En sign next to the alternative IT sign on the Terni Italian language website and realised that 'en' on the end of a website name does not mean encyclopaedia but English!

How To Get There
I flew on Ryanair from Stansted, England, to Perugia International Airport, Umbria (code for airport PEG). You might as well see Perugia before moving on to Terni.

Alternatively, via Rome.

Ideal Accommodation
Luxury Spa Hotel
Burgobrufa Spa Resort

Castle Hotel
Castello de Monterone

B & B Under £100
Palazzo Delle Signorine, Cannara, Province of Perugia, Umbria, Italy.
Originally a palace with antique frescoed ceilings. Tiny exquisite chapel next door to the bedrooms where you could get married or renew your vows. Only two rooms. One of the two rooms overlooks the little square outside. Renovated with up to the minute shower rooms. Closed for low season. Opens March.

Helpful Websites
Great simplified version of the story of St Valentine here:
http://www.deliciousitaly.com/lazio-rome-itineraries/origin-of-saint-valentine-s-day

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terni
https://wikitravel.org/en/Terni

http://www.turismo.comune.terni.it/en (Lovely video of the waterfall.)

https://www.umbriatourism.it

Rooms
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g635638-d656395-Reviews-Borgobrufa_SPA_Resort-Torgiano_Province_of_Perugia_Umbria.html
castellomonterone.com
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g664988-d2693195-Reviews-or10-Palazzo_delle_Signorine-Cannara_Province_of_Perugia_Umbria.html

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.