The digital reconstruction of the
first portrait of Saint Valentine
is exhibited, for the first time, in the San Marco Cenacle in Terni, within the exhibition
"The Saint Without a Face"
organized by Istess Arte within the framework of "Valentine Fest 2023".
A meticulous reconstruction carried out by the
archaeologist and restorer Ilaria Carocci
for the book "San Valentín. The profile and the image", edited by Giuseppe Cassio and Edoardo D'Angelo, and which can now be admired until March 12, together with other works on display, including some designer fakes created by Ermes Maiolica through artificial intelligence.
The "real" face of Saint Valentine was
reconstructed from the oldest painting
depicting the saint, found in Rome in the church of Santa Maria Antiqua, in the Imperial Forums, dating from the 8th century.
The digital reconstruction of the first portrait of Saint Valentine is exhibited, for the first time, in Italy until March 12.
"The image now appears almost unreadable due to
his compromised health
," Carocci noted in the book.
He explains that "given the impossibility of carrying out a traditional material restoration, we resorted to the use of image treatment techniques and methodologies aimed at restoring, in a virtual and hypothetical way, the original potential unity of the work."
"The phase prior to the digital intervention -continues the restorer- consisted of a careful investigation aimed at studying the method of execution of the fresco. Next, the image of the saint was photographed in high resolution together with some details taken from the nearby characters" .
After a first phase of digital cleaning, the cracks and small holes (background, clothing, halo) were recovered in the adjacent areas, while the symmetrical elements of the image, such as ears and locks of hair, were recovered using properly distorted
equivalents
and overturned," he added.
The legend of Valentine and lovers
The oldest antecedent of this celebration are the
verses of Geoffrey Chaucer
composed, in the fourteenth century, to commemorate the marriage of King Richard II and Anne of Bohemia and grouped in the Parliament of the birds.
There he wrote: “Because this happened on Valentine's Day.
When each bird has to choose his partner ”.
Pope Gelasio I, in the year 496, had established February 14 as the date to remember Saint
Valentine
, the name of at least two saints who died on that day in different years of the third century.
The story of Bishop Valentin de Treni is the one with the greatest connection to Valentine's Day.
A legend claims that the bishop was summoned to Rome by a very rich man who offered him a large sum to cure his dying son.
Valentin miraculously saved her life
and, of course, he didn't get paid a penny.
Saints of February 14: Saint Valentine's Day, martyr of the 3rd century in Rome./ Painting: ACI Prensa.
The miraculous healing increased the fame of the bishop, who converted to Christianity young scholars such as Procles, Ephebus, Apollonius and Abondius, who later became his disciples.
This fame reached the ears of the Emperor Aurelian, who sent the soldier Furius Placidus to
arrest and execute him.
The bishop became the patron of lovers because, before being arrested, he decided
to consecrate the marriage of Serapia, a Christian woman, and Sabino, who was a pagan
.
Since the time of Emperor Claudius II (268-270), religious marriage was prohibited.
Serapia was very ill and Sabino begged the bishop that they could be united even after death.
So, he converted to Christianity and Valentine blessed the union.
Serapia died soon after.
Valentine was beheaded on Via Flaminia
, near Rome, on February 14, 273, hence the date is celebrated on a day like today.
Santoral of February 14: Valentine's Day, martyr in Rome./ Image: sanctoral.com
His remains would have been recovered by some of his disciples.
Now his skull can be seen in the Basilica of
Santa Maria in Cosmedin, in Rome.
Other Saints of February 14
Santoral of February 14: day of San Juan Bautista de la Concepción García.
Priest and writer of the Spanish Golden Age./ Image: revistaecclesia.com
San Juan Bautista de la Concepcion Garcia.
(1561-1613).
This priest born in Ciudad Real (Spain) led the reform of the Order of the Holy Trinity.
He founded 18 convents for men and one for women.
His literary work makes him one of the most prominent mystics of the Golden Age.
San Antonino.
(?-c. 830).
The patron saint of Sorrento, Italy, entered the monastery of Castellamare, but a vision of the Archangel Michael led him to live in solitude, on Monte Angelo.
Later, he lived in the monastery of San Agripino, of which he was abbot.
In the fourteenth century, the saint's intercession allowed Sorrento to win over the Saracens.
Saints Cyril and Methodius.
(826-869 and 827-885).
Patron saints of Europe, the Czech Republic and Poland, they were brothers and were sent to evangelize Moravia in 863. Cyril fulfilled this task for a few years, but his cultural heritage consists in having created the characters of the Cyrillic alphabet, which use in Russia.
Methodius, on the other hand, took the Word of Christ to Bohemia, Pannonia and Poland, and was Archbishop of Velhrad (Slovakia).