Pollock's Toy Museum

February 6, 2012, 9:10 am

Image of Pollock's Toy Museum located in London, United Kingdom

Pollock's Toy Museum

A toy store with a century-long history preserves the craftsmanship of playthings of the past.

In a dimly lit Victorian building with rickety staircases, the china dolls and tin soldiers sit patiently on dusty shelves awaiting their visitors. The toy theatres of the 1800's, an all but forgotten craft that required intricate printing plates and lovingly constructed characters are displayed as if they never fell out of favor.
The Pollock's Toy Museum is named after Benjamin Pollock, one of the last printers in the toy theatre trade. A hugely popular pastime of the 1800's, people enjoyed assembling the craft kits that would unfold into their favorite stage plays, and allow them to reenact those performances at home with their families. In the 19th century, stage theatre began to shift into formats that didn't lend themselves easily to the toy theatre, and they fell out of favor.
Dedicated to preserving and appreciating the lost art of toy theatre, as well as all other types of antique playthings, the 100 year old toy shop turned museum is now housed in two adjacent buildings that serve as a retail shop as well. The displays, while appropriate for all ages, are not for those easily disturbed by leering string puppets or glass-eyed baby dolls.

Category: Unique Collections, Commercial Curiosities, Purveyors of Curiosities
Location: London, United Kingdom
Edited by: serflac, Rachel

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Win Sein Taw Ya

February 6, 2012, 9:03 pm

≫ Next: Hanging Houses of Cuenca

≪ Previous: Pollock's Toy Museum

Image of Win Sein Taw Ya located in Mudon, Myanmar

Win Sein Taw Ya

The world's largest reclining Buddha, the Giant Buddha of Mudon

Win Sein Taw Ya is the largest reclining Buddha in the world, and at 30 meters high and 180 meters in length can be seen for miles. Located opposite of the Buddhist shrine of Kyauktalon Taung, the reclining Buddha is filled with rooms that showcase dioramas of the teachings of Buddha and a shrine. When visiting the giant Buddha it should be remembered that despite the odd novelty of walking into a giant head, it is still a place of worship, and shoes should be removed before entering the shrine.

Category: Strange Statues, Curious Places of Worship, Giant Buddhas
Location: Mudon, Myanmar
Edited by: Burmats, Rachel

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Hanging Houses of Cuenca

February 6, 2012, 9:03 pm

≫ Next: RichArt's Art Yard

≪ Previous: Win Sein Taw Ya

Image of Hanging Houses of Cuenca located in

Hanging Houses of Cuenca

Cliffside houses provide a spectacular view from their perilous perch above the valley

Nestled in the the city of Cuenca, in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha is a fine example of the absolute maximization of available space that the 15th through 18th centuries could provide.
Perched high atop a hill, 85 miles East of Madrid, the City of Cuenca lacked the option to spread out as population grew, so they did the next best: they expanded upwards, and outwards.
Once a common sight throughout the entire city, these houses, know as “hanging houses” seem to cling perilously to rocky outcroppings. Sometimes topping out at seven or eight, gravity defying (for the age) stories, these rascacielos, or skyscrapers often extended out over the valley far below.
The only remaining, intact structure of this type is Las Casas Colgadas, translated literally as The Hanging Houses, is now the location of the Cuenca Spanish Museum of Abstract Arts as well as a restaurant.

Category: Architectural Oddities, Eccentric Homes
Location:
Edited by: Rachel, Seth Teicher

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RichArt's Art Yard

February 7, 2012, 1:40 pm

≫ Next: Enchanted Forest Theme Park

≪ Previous: Hanging Houses of Cuenca

Image of RichArt's Art Yard located in | Richard Tracy considers his property his workshop.

RichArt's Art Yard

In the midst of a residential town in Washington exists a property saturated with one man's artistic creations

Outsider artists and retired art instructor Richard Tracy, also known as RichArt, began working on transforming his property into an outlet of his artistic expression since 1985. Now anyone can visit his house in Centralia, Washington and see what he calls "The Art Yard".
The materials RichArt uses are far from biodegradable though they make for some interesting decorations. Styrofoam, reclaimed packaging material, and found objects make up the entirety of his creations. Richard Tracy carves, sculpts, and forms this material into figures such as animals and faces. There are also an amalgam of utilitarian objects that he has created such as tables and seats.
The pinnacle of his work is what he calls his "confessional", a hideaway in which he can sit and look over the world around him. As a well-educated individual and dedicated artist, Richard Tracy gives advice and lessons to aspiring artists and encourages them to follow their unique creative compass.

Category: Outsider Art, Eccentric Homes
Location:
Edited by: bboas, Annetta, Rachel

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Enchanted Forest Theme Park

February 7, 2012, 2:08 pm

≫ Next: Rat Island

≪ Previous: RichArt's Art Yard

Image of Enchanted Forest Theme Park located in Normandy Heights, Maryland, US

Enchanted Forest Theme Park

Remnants of a storybook amusement park hidden behind a strip mall

Opening in 1955 (a month after Disneyland), The Enchanted Forest was a roadside amusement park in Ellicott City, Maryland that featured figures from nursery rhymes and fairy tales.
Visitors paid less than $2 to clamber through Cinderella's castle, ride through the caves of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and take a teacup ride to the underground scenes from Alice in Wonderland. On a large excavated pond, guests rode the Little Toot tugboat and visited Mount Vesuvius and Jungle Land.
After nearly three decades of operation, the park grew to over 52 acres, drawing close to 400,000 visitors each summer during its prime in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Unfortunately, The Enchanted Forest began to face tough competition from the roller coaster theme parks that were being built in the Baltimore area. Enthusiasm for a low-tech park eventually faded and led to an inevitable close in 1989.
While the Eastern side of the park was bulldozed to allow room for a shopping mall, the other half remains untouched. Many of the artifacts were moved to Clark’s Elioak Farm, but a few tattered attractions still remain scattered among the brushy undergrowth.
Faded cement gingerbread men, which once formed a welcoming border along Route 40, are now clumped together like crooked tombstones. The sagging Dish and Spoon, with flaking paint, are propped against the fence. The dilapidated Willie the Whale still floats on the pond.
Today, the carefree sensations that once permeated the park are lost, only to be replaced by a grim sense of nostalgia and unease.
Please note that the property is currently off limits and trespassers will be prosecuted.

Category: Architectural Oddities, Incredible Ruins
Location: Normandy Heights, Maryland, US
Edited by: Duck_Muscle, Rachel

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Rat Island

February 8, 2012, 8:10 am

≫ Next: Moses Bridge

≪ Previous: Enchanted Forest Theme Park

Image of Rat Island located in Rat Island, New York, US | Rat Island

Rat Island

Legendary private island in the Bronx

Located in the waters north of Manhattan lies two and a half acres of barren rock with quite a distasteful history, making it no stretch of the imagination that someone chose to give it the equally distasteful title of Rat Island.
Rat Island is part of a chain of tiny islands that sit in Long Island Sound. Originally it was purchased by New York City in the 1880s to be used as part of the Bronx’s Pelham Bay Park, but the lore attached to it is quite a bit darker. It is said that the ugly name comes from prisoners trying to flee from the nearby Hart Island; as they swam over, they wore boxes on their heads in the hopes of being mistaken for floating garbage. Rumor also has it that it was the home of a detention center for yellow fever victims. Most historians dispute this, as it would be unnecessary since Hart already had one near its prison.
Rat Island has switched hands many times over the past couple of centuries. It no longer belongs to the city and from the 1970s through 2010 it was owned by marine contractor, Red Brennen, who used it as a barge salvage yard. After he retired, he tried to sell in 2009 for $300,000 (the city valued it at $426,000). Unsuccessful, he waited a year and put it up for auction. It sold for $160,000 to local Bronx resident, Alex Schibli, who had been the island’s groundskeeper long before buying it. Schibli lives in the fishing community of City Island, which is one of the other islands in Long Island Sound. In fact, he lives so close to Rat Island that he frequently kayaks around it. Since it is a notorious spot for illegal parties, he took it upon himself to remove any debris left behind. Schibli is so infatuated that the island that he purchased it for the sake of preservation, but takes issue with the unattractive name, pointing out that the island is actually devoid of rats. He's mulling over the idea of renaming it completely, after his granddaughter. "Malina Island" has a much nicer ring to it, and might give the rock an opportunity to shed it's bad reputation.

Category: Watery Wonders
Location: Rat Island, New York, US
Edited by: HJHausman, Annetta, Rachel

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Moses Bridge

February 8, 2012, 6:12 pm

≫ Next: The JELL-O Gallery

≪ Previous: Rat Island

Image of Moses Bridge located in Halsteren, Netherlands

Moses Bridge

Invisible bridge parts the waters, invoking biblical images and preserving the ominous feel of an ancient moat

Once an active defense-line dating back to the 17th century, the West Brabant Line is made up of fortresses and cities with an inundation zone to the north, used as moats deep enough to dissuade marauders on foot, but too shallow to allow for boats. The line fell into disrepair in the 19th century, but a recent restoration program has been in motion, which led to this peculiar “invisible” bridge.
Fort de Roovere is the largest fort on the line, and particular attention has been paid to transform it into a recreational area for cycling and hiking. Not wanting to disrupt the appearance of the moat by adding an obviously ill-advised bridge, but needing a bridge for access regardless of a yearning for historical accuracy the Moses Bridge was the miracle solution.
The bridge, made completely out of waterproof wood, lies like a trench and disappears into the landscape, but from the vantage point of above or either end, the bridge parts the waters, reminiscent of the prophet it named after. In the case that you are lacking the faith to walk down into and under the water line, the RO&AD architects who designed the bridge assure that flooding would not be an issue. The height of the water is controlled by adjustable dams at both sides of the moat, ensuring that when the water rises, it reaches the dams before the bridge, which also includes a pump just in case the dams overflow.
The discreet entry to the fort makes it possible to enjoy the area without ruining the moat's presence, and gives you the powerful impression that the waters have parted, just for you.

Category: Architectural Oddities, Outsider Architecture
Location: Halsteren, Netherlands
Edited by: Rachel

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The JELL-O Gallery

February 8, 2012, 7:03 pm

≫ Next: Tiger & Turtle Magic Mountain

≪ Previous: Moses Bridge

Image of The JELL-O Gallery located in Leroy Mountain, New York, US

The JELL-O Gallery

The birthplace of America's favorite fruit-flavored mystery dessert

Have you always wondered how that wiggly Jell-O castle that your great aunt serves every Thanksgiving became "America's most famous desert", regardless of it's physically mystifying structure? There is a place that can solve this, and all your other Jell-O inquiries-the JELL-O Gallery in LeRoy, New York.
Located about 30 minutes from Rochester, New York, this small but very comprehensive museum explores the history and production of JELL-O. Created by a local townsman in 1897, JELL-O had humble beginnings as a LeRoy favorite, only to become an international sensation a few years later, taking the world by storm with it's fruity goodness.
The gallery explores the local connections, the creation process and several famous JELL-O advertising campaigns. Also within the gallery is an entire room devoted to JELL-O's most well-known spokesperson, Bill Cosby (he has visited the museum only once).
The original JELL-O factory, which closed down in 1964, is located nearby but now functions as a corporate office.
The gallery curators are knowledgeable and friendly. They love to talk JELL-O as well as share general knowledge about the village of LeRoy. Ask them for a lunch recommendation, if anyone knows the direction to something tasty in LeRoy, it's them.

Category: Museums and Collections
Location: Leroy Mountain, New York, US
Edited by: OrangeRavens, Rachel, Duck_Muscle

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Tiger & Turtle Magic Mountain

February 8, 2012, 7:26 pm

≫ Next: Mount Tamalpais Aircraft Crash Site

≪ Previous: The JELL-O Gallery

Image of Tiger & Turtle Magic Mountain located in Duisburg, Germany | The walkable roller coaster lights up at night.

Tiger & Turtle Magic Mountain

No need to strap in for a "ride" on this walkable roller coaster

The first impression given by this 69 ft. sculpture is that it's like any other roller coaster, with twists and turns and the ever-thrilling loop-the-loop. A closer look reveals that this is no free ride-to take on the curves of this metal giant, you'll have to start walking.
German artists Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth created “Tiger & Turtle-Magic Mountain” out of zinc and steel left over from local mining operations, and it's main purpose is to exist as an unusual venue to view the gorgeous German countryside around it. While a little disappointing that physics don't allow for passage around the loop, you can still work off that amusement park lunch at the speed of a turtle, on a structure that represents the speed of a tiger. With 249 steps making up the walkway, and LED lights so that the climb can be appreciated after dark, this twisted metal track gives you a chance to see this classic ride from an entirely new perspective day or night.

Category: Outsider Art, Unusual Monuments, Architectural Oddities
Location: Duisburg, Germany
Edited by: Rachel

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Mount Tamalpais Aircraft Crash Site

February 9, 2012, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Annapurna

≪ Previous: Tiger & Turtle Magic Mountain

Image of Mount Tamalpais Aircraft Crash Site located in

Mount Tamalpais Aircraft Crash Site

Law-protected wreckage serves as a peculiar memorial for an almost forgotten World War II tragedy

On a wet and windy night in late November 1944, a US Navy plane crashed into Mount Tamalpais and killed eight aviators and crew. The aircraft had taken off from Naval Air Station in Alameda when it developed engine trouble shortly after takeoff. The squadron radioed that it was having mechanical problems as it headed past the Golden Gate Bridge and into the darkness. The plane was never heard from again.
The owner of the Mountain Home Inn on Panoramic Highway was the first to report the crash after hearing a loud noise and seeing a giant fireball just before midnight.
The next day, a few boys from Mill Valley found the wreckage scattered across a 300 yard area. The debris was still smoldering, including what was left of the eight Navy fliers. The boys later reported that the sight was so horrific that they had nightmares for years afterward.
The Navy came and cleared most the wreckage soon after the crash. However, a small portion of the debris was left behind and is still there today. Visitors will find mostly nondescript scraps of metal and rubber strewn about the hallowed ground, though it is rumored that one of the plane's machine guns is still missing among the wreckage.
Please be aware that the site and debris are US government property and therefore protected by law. Removal or tampering with the wreckage is a felony.

Category: Disaster Areas, Incredible Ruins
Location:
Edited by: Duck_Muscle, Annetta, Rachel

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Annapurna

February 9, 2012, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Renz Women's Penitentiary

≪ Previous: Mount Tamalpais Aircraft Crash Site

Image of Annapurna located in Himalayas, Nepal

Annapurna

Named after the Goddess of Harvests, Annapurna is the deadliest member of the Eight-thousanders club

There are 14 independent peaks that make up the “Eight-thousanders”, an elite group of mountains that tower more than 8,000 meters (26,247 ft) above sea level, all of which lie in the Himalayan and Karakoram ranges in Asia. The most popular of these mountains, Mount Everest, has taken the lives of many a brave or foolhardy explorer, but there is another Eight-thousander that makes Everest look like a kiddie ride. Her name is Annapurna.
Since the first recorded ill-fated expedition of Albert F Mummery and J. Norman Collie in 1895, men and women have been compelled to conquer these peaks, and ironically the first successful ascent was located on Annapurna by famed adventurers Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal in 1950. The expedition was successful, but not without a heavy cost -- Herzog lost the majority of his fingers and toes to frostbite, and to stave off gangrene, had to perform amputations on the mountain, sans anesthetic. No one dared to climb Annapurna again for 20 years.
Annapurna is not the tallest mountain-In fact, it's 10th tallest on the list of the 14. Yet it currently has a fatality to summit ratio of 38% which was only recently improved from 40%, still the highest fatality rate of any of the Eight-thousanders. Why it claims so many lives is uncertain, although the glacial architecture and the illusions it produces have been cited as examples of it's treachery. Whatever the reason, this quiet giant with the difficult south slope has called over 200 explorers to her snowy cliffs, and decided to keep over 50 of them as her own.

Category: Natural Wonders, Geological Oddities, Dead Explorers
Location: Himalayas, Nepal
Edited by: Rachel, Seth Teicher, Dylan

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Renz Women's Penitentiary

February 9, 2012, 11:24 pm

≫ Next: Sacramento Old City Cemetery

≪ Previous: Annapurna

Image of Renz Women's Penitentiary located in Jefferson City, Missouri, US

Renz Women's Penitentiary

Destroyed by flood waters, prison now serves as a training ground for armed forces.

When you first drive by this ominous building sitting in a field visible from the freeway, it appears to be out of place. Obviously abandoned, as evidenced by the vegetation emerging from the busted out windows and water stains creeping down the facade, it seems too large and in too central of an area to just be forgotten for so long. It appears that the field it sits in is cared for, yet the structure remains untouched, and there is no signage or indication as to what purpose it used to serve. An irresistible beacon to the curious urban explorer, closer examination reveals a series of increasingly threatening “No Trespassing” signs leading to the mystery building. Was it a hospital? A mental hospital? A haunted mental hospital for the criminally insane? A little digging and some chatty locals will uncover it's history-while not a haunted mental hospital for the criminally insane (darn it), it does have an intriguing past, once serving as a high-security women's penitentiary.
Renz Women's Penitentiary opened up in 1926, and operated as a prison farm, where inmates would raise chickens and grow produce. It was a medium-sized facility that held around 500-550 female offenders, and was built right in the flood plain of the Missouri River. In the “Great Flood of 1993”, when the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers both rose to devastating heights, 20 ft. above flood stage in some places-the prison was a causality in the disaster that caused $15 billion in damages throughout the Midwest.
As the river slowly rose, the Missouri Department of Corrections began moving critical equipment out of the prison, and then finally when the waters showed no sign of relenting, they conducted a peaceful and injury-free 2-day evacuation of the prisoners to other nearby facilities. Once the inmates were all safely relocated, staff went back to the prison with boats and moved as much furniture and equipment as possible to the 2nd and 3rd stories of the building, hoping that once the water level receded they could salvage what was left and restore the structure. The murky depths of the Missouri had other ideas, and didn't stop until it had crested at 38.6 feet, and then took it's sweet time to recede. By the time it was finished, it had flattened the 32 foot levy protecting the prison, rendered the building completely incapacitated, and left a new 15 ft. deep, 15-acre wide lake as a parting gift.
Stories of the buildings accessibility and safety are mixed. Some say they have entered easily, others say there are locks and guards. One substantiated rumor is that SWAT teams and possibly the military use the area to practice tactical maneuvers and Close Quarter Combat training, so breaking in is ill-advised, despite the temptation.

Category: Crime and Punishment, Disaster Areas, Incredible Ruins
Location: Jefferson City, Missouri, US
Edited by: Rachel

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Sacramento Old City Cemetery

February 13, 2012, 8:15 am

≫ Next: Dean's Blue Hole

≪ Previous: Renz Women's Penitentiary

Image of Sacramento Old City Cemetery located in

Sacramento Old City Cemetery

Sacramento's Oldest Existing Cemetery

Take a tour of this beautiful old cemetery to see graves of California Gold Rush-era governors, murderers, criminals, ladies of the night, Chinese immigrants, and other historical persons of interest. The Old City Cemetery is adjacent to the Historic Volunteer Firemen's Plot. Several different guided tours are available throughout the year, including the popular night-time Lantern Tours given before Halloween.
Daytime walking tours are free and are led by volunteer docents. Self-guided tour brochures are also available. This cemetery, originally designed in the style of a Victorian garden, was practically abandoned by the city of Sacramento until a group of dedicated individuals decided to care for it in the 1980's. Due to budget restrictions the visiting hours change often- check the website before you plan to visit.

Category: Catacombs, Crypts, & Cemeteries
Location:
Edited by: cellogrl, Rachel

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Dean's Blue Hole

February 13, 2012, 8:20 am

≫ Next: Lava River Cave

≪ Previous: Sacramento Old City Cemetery

Image of Dean's Blue Hole located in New Providence Island, Bahamas

Dean's Blue Hole

The world's deepest known blue hole

Plunging to a depth of 663 feet (202 meters) in a bay west of Clarence Town on Long Island, Dean's Blue Hole is the world's deepest known blue hole. A blue hole is a term that is often given to sinkholes that are filled with water, while the entrance to them is located beneath the surface.
While most other known blue holes only reach maximum depths of 360 feet, the 663 foot depth of Dean's Blue Hole makes it quite exceptional. At the surface, Dean's Blue Hole is roughly circular with a diameter ranging from 82-115 feet (25-35 meters). After one descends 66 feet below the surface, the hole widens considerably into a cavern with a diameter of 330 feet (100 meters).
In April 2010, professional diver William Trubridge broke a free-diving world record in the blue hole by reaching a depth of 302 feet (92 meters) without the use of fins. He took that even further when on December 14th, 2010, he swam to a depth of 331 feet (101 meters) on a single breath while using only his hands and feet for propulsion! Talk about amazing lung capacity!

Category: Natural Wonders, Watery Wonders, Geological Oddities, Curious Caves
Location: New Providence Island, Bahamas
Edited by: TrevorShawnElia, Rachel

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Lava River Cave

February 13, 2012, 8:30 am

≫ Next: Archie the Giant Squid

≪ Previous: Dean's Blue Hole

Image of Lava River Cave located in

Lava River Cave

The longest continuous lava tube in Oregon

The Lava River Cave, located 12 miles (19 kilometer) south of Bend on the east side of Highway 97 and part of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, is a prime example of a lava tube. Measuring in at 5,211 feet (1,588 m) in length, the northwestern section of the cave is the longest continuous lava tube in the state of Oregon.
Although the official discovery of the cave was credited to a pioneer hunter back in 1889, archaeologists have found the presence of obsidian flakes near the cave and believe that Native Americans knew about the cave long before settlers ever arrived in central Oregon.
80,000 years ago a volcanic eruption formed the Lava River Cave. The volcanic flow that formed the cave also underlies much of the Bend area, and even almost reaches Redmond, Oregon. The Lava River Cave itself was created by lava flowing from a volcanic vent that flowed northwest from the vent toward the Deschutes River.

Category: Natural Wonders, Geological Oddities, Curious Caves
Location:
Edited by: TrevorShawnElia, Rachel

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Archie the Giant Squid

February 13, 2012, 4:26 pm

≫ Next: Relics of St. Valentine in Roquemaure

≪ Previous: Lava River Cave

Image of Archie the Giant Squid located in London, United Kingdom | Archie's tentacle up close. Creative Commons photo by Steve Sparshott

Archie the Giant Squid

The monster at the center of the Darwin Center Spirit Collection

Held in a custom-made acrylic tank filled with a 10% solution of formol-saline, the giant squid at the center of the London Natural History Museum Spirit Collection was caught off the coast of the Falkland Islands in March 2004.
The 8.62 meter long creature is an Architeuthis dux, or giant squid, and known at the museum as "Archie." Although enormous, the giant squid is not actually the largest of the feared semi-mythical undersea ship eaters: that position of honor is reserved for the colossal squid, or Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni.
Rarely seen, and even more rarely caught, this specimen was caught alive, although it did not remain that way for long. After death, it was transported to the Natural History Museum where it was frozen while a tank large enough to accommodate the huge specimen was designed and built.
The Spirit Collection at the London Natural History Museum holds about 22 million preserved zoological specimens, including the original collections of Sir Hans Sloane, an adventurous 18th century traveler and collector, who also is known for having introduced the drinking of chocolate milk to Europe. His collection alone numbered some 80,000 items. The new Darwin Centre opened in September 2009.
Archie's final resting spot is a specially built 9 meter long transparent tank, made by the same people who made tanks for Damien Hirsts' formaldehyde specimen installations.
The Spirit Collection (and Archie) can be visited on special guided tours.

Category: Watery Wonders, Fascinating Fauna, Natural History
Location: London, United Kingdom
Edited by: Annetta, Rachel, Dylan

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Relics of St. Valentine in Roquemaure

February 14, 2012, 6:00 am

≫ Next: Skull bits of St. Valentine in Chelmno

≪ Previous: Archie the Giant Squid

Image of Relics of St. Valentine in Roquemaure located in Roquemaure, France | Roquemaure church

Relics of St. Valentine in Roquemaure

Celebrate the end of the Great French Wine Blight with a festival of kissing

In 1866 the vineyards of Roquemaure, France were descended upon by tiny, voracious insects. These phylloxera caused so much damage it became known as the Great French Wine Blight.
In an appeal for holy intervention, a local land owner - and presumed wine enthusiast - made a pilgrimage to Rome and allegedly returned in October 1868 with the saint's relics in tow. It is unclear exactly how much or which parts of the saint were brought back, but the saint's flower-bedecked skull is still on display in the eternal city.
Today the the arrival of the saint's relics are celebrated in the town with a festival known as La Festo di Poutoun, or the "festival of lovers and kissers" on or near February 14, somewhat incongruously paired with locals decked out in fussy Victorian attire. During the festival the relics are taken out from the church where they usually reside and are carried through the streets.
Little is really known of the real man (or men) behind the St. Valentine myth. What is known (more or less) is that at least two men by the name of Valentine (Valentinus) were known in Italy and died in the late 3rd century, and a third Valentine was located in North Africa around the same time. The two Italians were buried along Via Flaminia. As a saint, Valentine first gained real notoriety in 496 when Pope Gelasius I made February 14, originally part of the Roman festival of Lupercalia, a feast day dedicated to St. Valentine. The stories of the different men seem to have merged into one over time, with most of the mythology about Valentine being a patron of lovers, helping early Christian couples to marry in secret, only dating to the 14th century and the writings of Geoffrey Chaucer.
Today, there are no less than ten places claiming to house the relics, all around the world, including the Basilica of Santa Maria in Rome.

Category: Relics and Reliquaries
Location: Roquemaure, France
Edited by: Annetta, Rachel

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Skull bits of St. Valentine in Chelmno

February 14, 2012, 6:25 am

≫ Next: St. Valentine's Skull

≪ Previous: Relics of St. Valentine in Roquemaure

Image of Skull bits of St. Valentine in Chelmno located in Chelmno, Poland | Silver reliquary (supposedly) holding a bit of St. Valentine's skull

Skull bits of St. Valentine in Chelmno

A silver reliquary holds what may or may not be parts of the martyr's skull

Preserved in a small silver reliquary in a parish church in Chelmno, a bit of bone is revered as the skull of St. Valentine, patron saint of lovers (as well as bee keepers and epilepsy, among other things).
The relics have been in the possession of the church for "several hundred years" and are the focal point of the city's annual celebrations on February 14. The only problem is that his skull is inconveniently already on display in Rome.
The silver reliquary dates to around 1630, and was described in 1880 as follows: “...it is the saint’s head, or rather a small fragment of it. The relic is placed in an octagonal reliquary which is made of silver, is one foot high and weighs about three pounds. On top of it there is a round dome-shaped lid where the relic is kept and where it can be seen and kissed through the glass. The relic is the size of about two fingers.”
An altar devoted to the saint sits next to the main altar, separating the main nave from the south one, decorated with a painting of the martyr’s decapitation.
Little is really known of the real man (or men) behind the myth. What is known (more or less) is that at least two men by the name of Valentine (Valentinus) were known in Italy and died in the late 3rd century, and a third Valentine was located in North Africa around the same time. The two Italians were buried along Via Flaminia. As a saint, Valentine first gained real notoriety in 496 when Pope Gelasius I made February 14, originally part of the Roman festival of Lupercalia, a feast day dedicated to St. Valentine. The stories of the different men seem to have merged into one over time, with most of the mythology about Valentine being a patron of lovers, helping early Christian couples to marry in secret, only dating to the 14th century and the writings of Geoffrey Chaucer.
Today, there are no less than ten places claiming to house the relics, all around the world, including the Basilica of Santa Maria in Rome.

Category: Relics and Reliquaries
Location: Chelmno, Poland
Edited by: Annetta, Rachel

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St. Valentine's Skull

February 14, 2012, 6:40 am

≫ Next: Relics of Saint Valentine at the Whitefriar Street Church

≪ Previous: Skull bits of St. Valentine in Chelmno

Image of St. Valentine's Skull located in Roma, Italy | St. Valentine's skull. (Lawrence OP/Flickr)

St. Valentine's Skull

Head of the patron saint of lovers - or is it?

A skull resides in a glass reliquary in a small basilica in Rome, surrounded by flowers. Lettering painted across the forehead identify the owner as none other than of the patron saint of lovers, St. Valentine.
Knowing just exactly whose skull it is, though, is complicated. First off, there was more than one Catholic saint known as Saint Valentine. Then there's the approximately 1500 years between those martyr's deaths and the enthusiastic distribution and labeling of bodies in the Victorian era. Finally, and most troubling, there is the fact that no less than ten places claim to house the relics, all around the world.
Little is really known of the real man (or men) behind the myth. What is known (more or less) is that at least two men by the name of Valentine (Valentinus) were known in Italy and died in the late 3rd century, and a third Valentine was located in North Africa around the same time. The two Italians were buried along Via Flaminia. As a saint, Valentine first gained real notoriety in 496 when Pope Gelasius I made February 14, originally part of the Roman festival of Lupercalia, a feast day dedicated to St. Valentine. The stories of the different men seem to have merged into one over time, with most of the mythology about Valentine being a patron of lovers, helping early Christian couples to marry in secret, only dating to the 14th century and the writings of Geoffrey Chaucer.
The church itself is very old, standing on the site of an ancient Roman temple dating to the second century BC. Most of what you see today dates to the 8th and 12th centuries, including the crypt located beneath the altar.
The skull can be found in the side altar on the left side of the church. While you are at the Basilica of Santa Maria, stop by the portico to visit with the famous Bocca della Verità (mouth of truth).

Category: Memento Mori, Relics and Reliquaries
Location: Roma, Italy
Edited by: Annetta, Nicholas Jackson, phoolish, Rachel

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Relics of Saint Valentine at the Whitefriar Street Church

February 14, 2012, 9:44 am

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Image of Relics of Saint Valentine at the Whitefriar Street Church located in Dublin, Ireland | The casket of Saint Valentine

Relics of Saint Valentine at the Whitefriar Street Church

The remains of one of the many St. Valentines resides in Dublin, Ireland.

John Sprat was an Irish Carmelite that was known for his abilities as a preacher and dedicated work with the destitute in the city of Dublin. While visiting Rome, his fame had apparently preceded him, and he became hot on the Jesuit circuit, giving sermons and receiving tokens of esteem from his peers.
One of the more impressive tokens he was gifted were the remains of Saint Valentine by Pope Gregory XVI, which had recently been uncovered during grave restorations. Sprat brought the Reliquary containing the relics to his Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin, where they remained popular until the death of their popular procurer. With the death of Sprat, the relics went into storage and were not venerated until the church went through restorations in the 1950's/1960's. An altar and shrine were created and are now watched over by a statue depicting the saint holding a crocus, carved by Irene Broe.
Today the shrine is popular with couples who come to pray for St. Valentine to watch over their lives together and to celebrate the feast day of February 14th which includes the Blessings of the Rings for those about to marry. The Reliquary is placed on the high altar and venerated at the Masses.
So what does this particular collection of St. Valentine relics contain? According to an inscription on a gold plate attached to the casket: This shrine contains the sacred body of Saint Valentinus the Martyr, together with a small vessel tinged with his blood.
More specifically, the Reliquary contains “some” of his remains, never claiming to have all of them, and a small vessel tinged with his blood-all of which is contained within a small, wax-sealed box with a red silk ribbon around it. This box is located in the casket, which is occasionally opened to check on the contents. The smaller box remains sealed.

Category: Relics and Reliquaries
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Edited by: Rachel

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