Valentine’s day in Italy

Padlocks of love

Valentine’s Day in Italy is commonly known as a lover’s holiday, and is a day when couples attempt to be a little more romantic than usual. The holiday has a rich history in Italy, and is often a time when many Italians think about the famous love story of Romeo and Juliet, penned by Shakespeare. Historians believe Shakespeare wrote the play between 1591 and 1596. The popular story chronicles the love of two teenagers who are from rivaling families. The two lovers are so determined to be together that they both commit suicide, believing that they will be able to love each other freely in the afterlife.
Even though Venice and Florence are thought to be some of the most romantic cities in Italy, Verona, the city where the story of Romeo and Juliet takes place has a four-day Valentine’s Day celebration. The event is called Verona in Love, and a large red heart is painted in the center of Piazza dei Signori, and lanterns in the shape of hearts shine throughout the city plaza. There are free concerts where musicians play and sing romantic tunes, and there are even concerts in which men try to pen the most heartfelt letter to their lover or “Juliet.” A number of the hotels in Verona also offer discounts and restaurants provide specials for couples to celebrate this time of year as well.

It is believed that Valentine’s Day began in the Roman Empire, and that February was the day chosen to celebrate the Queen of all Roman gods and goddesses, Juno. The Romans also thought Juno to be the goddess Queen of Marriage and Women.

Originally, Italians celebrated Valentine’s Day as a spring festival. The celebration was held outside, and couples would gather under trees to read poetry to each other and walk through the beautiful gardens together. However, it’s been hundreds of years since this particular custom was celebrated naturally. It was also a tradition for engaged Italian couples living in the city of Turin to announce their intent to marry to their family and friends on Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day in Italy is also said to be named for St. Valentine. St. Valentine was a priest who disobeyed the orders of the Roman emperor when the emperor prohibited marriage during the time of war. The priest secretly married couples and was executed when the emperor got word of St. Valentine’s actions. St. Valentine’s execution date was February 14; Pope Gelasius later named the priest an official saint.
The custom of giving wonderful gifts on Valentine’s Day originated in Italy as well. Days before the holidays, Italian stores would create colourful display windows featuring decadent candies. People would also put together gift baskets filled with decadent candies and adorned with a ribbon. In centuries past, Italians also believed that the first man an unmarried woman saw on Valentine’s Day would wed her within a year’s.
Even though Valentine’s Day has been celebrated in Italy for hundreds of years, Italians view the holiday as Americans. The traditional day for showing love to family, friends and romantic interests is called Il Giorno Della Festa Degil Innamorati. On this day, Italians make sure to spend quality time with those they love. Gifts are not traditionally exchanged on this day. However, some Italian couples do celebrate Valentine’s Day the “American” way, by going out to dinner the evening of Valentine’s Day and exchanging gifts like flowers, chocolates or jewellery.

Valentine’s day in Italy

A lock connected with Adore or perhaps Lucchetti dell’Amore

The custom connected with locking padlocks to be attached to bridges, railings along with light fixture posts started with Italia a little more as compared to the launch of the best-selling guide “Ho voglio di te” (I want you) by the Italian writer Federico Moccia. This was then the most popular film while using the same brand starring Riccardo Scamarcio along with Laura Chiatti.

From the story youthful enthusiasts connect some sort of archipelago along with a padlock close to some sort of lamppost around the northern aspect connected with Rome’s ponte Milvio along with inscription of their own names onto it, then secure that it to a bridge or a lamppost any where that the padlock would lock. This was believe that your true secret came from the Tiber Riv below. This activity suggests that this couple will be in connected eternally.

Through Italia I’ve discovered these types of tresses typically near bridges but with more distinct areas including a great cost sign on this going for walks tail within the Cinque Terre. Several metropolitan areas get placed bans about obtaining these types of tresses about bridges citing it eliminates from the attractiveness along with traditions on the construction plus putting protection issues.

Valentine’s day in Italy has given the Italian government bodies a reason to make it an offence to attach padlocks to any bridge, lampposts or walk way, especially around the ponte Milvio which they are trying to eliminate, because of the huge number of padlocks, also along with Venice a couple of months before valentine’s day this government bodies eliminated hundred or so padlocks from the Accademia.
The Florence police eliminated greater than 5000 padlocks from the ponte Vecchio where by it is a criminal offense to require these types of padlocks nowadays nevertheless this doesn’t stop this activity.  They occurrence features distribute to Turin, Bologna, Palermo as well as in to other European countries. Adore conquers all use in this article because it is a sacrificing battle with this Italian government bodies.