Italy: A chocolate festival in honour of St Valentine

Terni: The 2022 edition of the Cioccolentino festival is taking place in the Umbrian town of Terni, in honour of St Valentine’s Day, from 10-14 February.

Under the title L’amore non conosce distanza (Love knows no distance), Cioccolentino is now in its 18th year.

The event is designed to unite chocolate with eternal love and there is nothing casual about the choice of location: a third-century bishop from Terni was none other than St Valentine himself.

The five-day festival includes lessons in handmade chocolate and tastings as well as demonstrations and workshops by some of the region’s most skilled pastry chefs and master chocolatiers on the streets of the historic centre.

Visitors to Terni can even pay their respects to St Valentine, whose relics are preserved in the city’s basilica under the sign “St Valentine, patron of love”.