In February of each year, Abriola celebrates its Patron Saint, San Valentino, drawing lovers from all over Basilicata to its territory. The cult for the Saint has its origins in a 17th-century legend. Valentino Romani, traveling to Puglia, stopped in Abriola to refresh himself and found a crowd of hungry and thirsty people. Upon reaching Puglia, with the help of a ring, he sent wagons loaded with wheat to the people of Abriola. No one in Abriola knew who this charitable man was until they recognized him in the statue of the Saint and Martyr displayed on an altar in the church. They considered that charitable act, and upon returning home, they found their granaries even fuller.
Originally, San Valentino was invoked against the plague and epilepsy; later, in the Middle Ages, he became the patron saint of lovers, as on February 14, the day of his feast, birds began to nest, marking the awakening of nature and, therefore, love.
From this, a vast program of cultural initiatives was born, held in the days leading up to February 14, constituting a true brand for the enhancement of the Abriola territory.
For romantics passionate about genealogy, it could be very interesting and surprising to search the notarial archives for the “marriage contracts” that Lucanian couples stipulated before the consecration of their union. Reading the detailed description of the bride’s dowry and the gifts brought to the beloved by her future husband allows us to have a real insight into the daily life of the time.