Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Poland Chełmno Pieces of St. Valentine's Skull

Pieces of St. Valentine's Skull

The relics are stored in a silver reliquary, where they can be seen through glass.

Chełmno, Poland

Added By
Annetta Black
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Look closely: The fragment is pretty small.   Chelmno City Hall
The skull fragment is stored in a silver reliquary.   Chelmno City Hall
A painting of St. Valentine.   Chelmno City Hall
Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Chelmno.   Agnieszka M/CC BY-SA 3.0 PL
The reliquary, behind lock and key.   Taktoperz77/CC BY-SA 3.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Preserved in a small silver reliquary in a parish church in Chelmno, a bit of bone is revered as the skull of St. Valentine, patron saint of lovers (as well as bee keepers and epilepsy, among other things).

The relics have been in the possession of the church for "several hundred years" and are the focal point of the city's annual celebrations on February 14. The only problem is that St. Valentine's skull is already on display in Rome.

A number of churches around the world claim to have pieces of St. Valentine on display. Though not much is known for certain about the origin of these relics, the Catholic church does recognize multiple saints known as Valentine. At least two of them lived in Italy in the 3rd century, and both were executed during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius Gothicus.

Many years passed between the deaths of these martyrs and the distribution of their relics. Over time, the stories of these men (and potentially other Valentines) have merged into a single myth. In 496, Pope Gelasius I declared February 14 a feast day dedicated to St. Valentine.

The silver reliquary in Chelmno dates to around 1630. In 1880 is was described as “the saint’s head, or rather a small fragment of it. The relic is placed in an octagonal reliquary which is made of silver, is one foot high and weighs about three pounds. On top of it there is a round dome-shaped lid where the relic is kept and where it can be seen and kissed through the glass. The relic is the size of about two fingers.”

An altar devoted to St. Valentine sits next to the main altar, decorated with a painting of the martyr’s decapitation.

Related Tags

Relics And Reliquaries Saint Valentine Relics Saints

Community Contributors

Added By

Annetta Black

Edited By

bialemieso, Michelle Cassidy

  • bialemieso
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

February 14, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.chelmno.pl/index_en.php?cid=1104&unroll=1003
  • http://en.poland.gov.pl/St.,Valentine%E2%80%99s,Day,in,Chelmno,%28February%29,8819.html
  • http://www.polandforall.com/city-on-nine-hills-chelmno.html
  • https://poland.pl/tourism/urban-tourism/chelmno-city-lovers/
Pieces of St. Valentine's Skull
Chelmno parish church
Chełmno
Poland
53.34842, 18.42499
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Secret Polish Eagle on Fara Church

Bydgoszcz, Poland

miles away

Museum of Soap and History of Dirt

Bydgoszcz, Poland

miles away

The Exploseum

Bydgoszcz, Poland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Poland

Poland

Europe

Places 201
Stories 14

Nearby Places

The Secret Polish Eagle on Fara Church

Bydgoszcz, Poland

miles away

Museum of Soap and History of Dirt

Bydgoszcz, Poland

miles away

The Exploseum

Bydgoszcz, Poland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Poland

Poland

Europe

Places 201
Stories 14

Related Stories and Lists

Where in the World Is Saint Valentine?

List

By Jessica Leigh Hester

Curious Fact of the Week: Saint Valentine, Patron Saint of Lovers, Bee Keepers, Plague, and Epilepsy

relics

By Allison Meier

St. Valentine's Many Heads, Assorted Parts

relics

By Annetta Black

Related Places

  • The road to The Old St. Ferdinand Shrine in Florissant, Missouri

    Florissant, Missouri

    Old St. Ferdinand Shrine

    A wax effigy of St. Valentine hides one of the saint's relics.

  • ‘Body of Saint Valentine’

    Glasgow, Scotland

    St. Valentine’s Bones

    Glasgow’s piece of the patron saint of love.

  • The bones are artfully displayed.

    Prague, Czechia

    St. Valentine’s Shoulder Blade

    A saintly relic hidden in a Prague church basement.

  • Whitefriar Street Church

    Dublin, Ireland

    Relics of St. Valentine at Whitefriar Street Church

    Some of the saint's blood and bones are said to reside in Dublin.

  • The skull is flanked by flowers.

    Rome, Italy

    St. Valentine's Skull

    The skull of the patron saint of lovers lies in the Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin—maybe.

  • Roquemaure church

    Roquemaure, France

    Relics of St. Valentine

    Celebrate the end of the Great French Wine Blight with a festival of kissing.

  • Three Kings Reliquary

    Cologne, Germany

    Shrine of the Three Kings

    The bones of the Biblical Magi traveled to Constantinople and Milan before landing in their current home inside an elaborate golden reliquary in the Cologne Cathedral.

  • A church altar of sculpted amber saints that seems to float at the front of the church

    Gdańsk, Poland

    St. Bridget's Church

    One of the world's largest amber altarpieces is housed within this reconstructed medieval church.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.