San Valentino’s Church

The Church of St. Valentine, patron saint of Roccantica, has ancient origins dating back to the early Middle Ages. The earliest documented reference dates back to 792, when Palombo, son of Rattone, made a donation “pro remedio animae” (for the salvation of the soul) to the Abbey of Farfa, including land, dwellings, people and a portion of the church itself. This indicates that the church was built before that date, on land known as the “Fondo Antico.” Near the church developed the first lordly settlement of Palombo and Rattone, which over the centuries expanded to give rise to the present town of Roccantica.

The Church of St. Valentine later became the parish of the village, with the residence of the archpriest and clerics attached. Next to the church, on the right, stood the cemetery, as indicated in the maps of the Gregorian Cadastre of 1820, located in the area below the present square.

In 1300 the church underwent a major renovation, if not a complete reconstruction, as recorded in the 1326 Statute of Roccantica, where reference is made to the “ecclesia Sancti Valentini de novo facta.” A detailed description of the church, between the 18th and 19th centuries, emerges from the Corsini Pastoral Visit: the 14th-century structure was in Gothic-Romanesque style, with a front portico supported by four pillars and an oculus window that illuminated the interior. The apse was embellished with three mullioned windows (one of which is still visible), while under the portico were frescoes by a 15th-century Umbrian artist. Inside there were five chapels decorated with frescoes, and on the high altar was a tempera on wood panel by Bartolomeo Torresani, now preserved in the church of Santa Maria Assunta.

Unfortunately, today the church no longer exists, except for the apse and the bell tower. Around 1932, the church, in a state of decay, was partly demolished and partly buried. In its place was created the Park of Remembrance, in memory of the war dead, located at a lower level than the present square. In the 1950s, the park was buried and the square took its present form. Today, what remains of the Church of St. Valentine has been consecrated as a Monument to the Fallen of the two world wars.

For those visiting Roccantica, the remains of St. Valentine’s Church represent an important historical site, connected to the traditions and memory of the town.