Type 'Saint Valentine' into any Internet search engine, and among the thousands of websites selling flowers, chocolates and greetings cards, you’ll find just a handful dedicated to the saint himself. Browse these for a few minutes, and you’ll discover that not only do we know very little about his life, but that there are in fact two different Valentines vying for the title of ‘Patron Saint of Love:’ Valentino di Roma and Valentino di Terni.

Who Was San Valentino? Valentine of Rome is said to have been a priest during the bloody reign of Emperor Claudius III, also known as Claudius the Cruel. Due to the number of military campaigns the emperor carried out, he was in constant need of young men for the empire’s army.