Valentine's Day in Touraine a wonderful trip for lovers!

In Touraine, the land of castles and legends, romance and history go hand in hand. So, to impress your other half at a candlelit dinner, here are a few anecdotes to slip into the conversation!

It all began in ancient Rome with the Lupercalia, festivities dedicated to Faunus, the god of nature and fertility. Between 13 and 15 February, young men went around the city whipping women with strips of goatskin to ensure their fertility and marital happiness… Charming, isn’t it? Deemed too pagan, this tradition was replaced in 495 by a new festival: that of Saint Valentine, in honour of three martyrs of the same name, by decision of Pope Gelasius I.

But it was in 14th-century England that Valentine’s Day took on its romantic dimension. At that time, it was believed that 14 February marked the beginning of the mating season for birds. Little by little, the custom of exchanging cards and love notes was born, a tradition that spread throughout Europe. As for Valentine of Terni, a priest who was beheaded in 269 for celebrating marriages despite a ban imposed by Emperor Claudius II, in 1496 he became the patron saint of lovers, consecrated by Pope Alexander VI.

From ancient Rome to the châteaux of the Loire Valley, love has always known how to cross the ages… and in Touraine, it finds an ideal setting in which to blossom!