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 the United Kingdom Scotland Glasgow St. Valentine’s Bones

St. Valentine’s Bones

Glasgow’s piece of the patron saint of love.

Glasgow, Scotland

Added By
Heather Hausman
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
‘Body of Saint Valentine’   Anne on Flickr
St. Valentine relic on display at Blessed St John Duns Scotus   Anne on Flickr
Blessed St John Duns Scotus   Anne on Flickr
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In 1868, a wealthy French family made a donation to the the Franciscan church: a small wooden box labeled "Corpus Valentini Martyris," or "the Body of Saint Valentine." The church sent the relic to Saint Francis’ Church, in the neighborhood of Gorbals in Glasgow, where it sat in almost complete anonymity for over a century. In 1999, it was moved to the nearby, Blessed St John Duns Scotus, where it has been given a place of honor at the church’s entrance.

Though there are many stories, not much is known for certain about the man—or men—behind the myth of St. Valentine. The Catholic church recognizes a number of saints known as Valentine, and at least two of them lived in Italy in the 3rd century. Both were executed during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius Gothicus. Many years between the deaths of these martyrs and the distribution of their relics, and over time, the stories of these men (and potentially other Valentines) have merged. In 496, Pope Gelasius I made February 14 a feast day dedicated to St. Valentine.

At the church in Glasgow, the relic is decorated with flowers every year for the Feast of St. Valentine, and the friars say prayers for lovers. Though we may not know which Valentine the body belonged to, its presence has led Glasgow to label itself the “City of Love.”

Related Tags

Relics Saints Saint Valentine Memento Mori Relics And Reliquaries
Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Scotland: Beyond the Haggis

Smoked seafood, single malt whisky, and warm hospitality.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

HJHausman

Edited By

hrnick, emmeliamathews

  • hrnick
  • emmeliamathews

Published

February 14, 2012

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.scotiana.com/st-valentine-comes-to-glasgow/
  • http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk/279285.stm
  • http://www.nothingtoseehere.net/2009/02/st_valentine_glasgow.html
St. Valentine’s Bones
270 Ballater St
Glasgow, Scotland, G5 0YT
United Kingdom
55.849521, -4.246084
Get Directions

Nearby Places

'The Gorbals Boys'

Glasgow, Scotland

miles away

Nelson Monument Glasgow

Glasgow, Scotland

miles away

Collins Temperance Fountain

Glasgow, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Glasgow

Glasgow

Scotland

Places 90
Stories 4

Nearby Places

'The Gorbals Boys'

Glasgow, Scotland

miles away

Nelson Monument Glasgow

Glasgow, Scotland

miles away

Collins Temperance Fountain

Glasgow, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Glasgow

Glasgow

Scotland

Places 90
Stories 4

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 bones are artfully displayed.

    Prague, Czechia

    St. Valentine’s Shoulder Blade

    A saintly relic hidden in a Prague church basement.

  • 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.

  • The Head of St. John the Baptist in 2001.

    Amiens, France

    The Head of St. John the Baptist at Amiens Cathedral

    The encased skull that is widely believed to belong to St. John the Baptist.

  • Look closely: The fragment is pretty small.

    Chełmno, Poland

    Pieces of St. Valentine's Skull

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

  • Paris, France

    The Wax and Bone Relics of Saint Vincent de Paul

    Saintly bones pressed into a wax effigy of a Catholic superstar.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Roquemaure church

    Roquemaure, France

    Relics of St. Valentine

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

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.