34. The Roman catacombs where Saint Valentine’s bones were laid to rest were plundered centuries ago
The bones of Saint Valentine – that is, the martyred priest of Rome – were dug up and transferred to the Church and Catacombs of San Valentino in Rome. They remain here to this day. In the middle of the 4th century, Pope Julius I ordered a basilica to be built on the site where the saint was buried. Over the centuries, the basilica was rebuilt twice. These days, however, hardly anything remains of the basilica or the catacombs. Despite this, large numbers of pilgrims still visit every February, putting down flowers to remember Saint Valentine.