Valentine’s Day News Snippets: Ancient Lovers & Erotic Poetry

For this Valentine’s Day post on the Italy Logue, I’ve got some love-related news items for you…

First, to satisfy your poetic side, I offer you the tale of two prehistoric lovers, their 5,000-6,000 year old skeletons found embracing one another. They were most likely young lovers, as “their teeth were mostly intact” (isn’t that romantic?), and is seen as an “extraordinary case” partly because two people were buried in the same tomb and partly because the two were hugging when they were buried. “I must say that when we discovered it,” said the chief archaeologist, “we all became very excited.” Indeed. Scientists have even said they’re determined to not split the couple up during excavation. How romantic. The skeletons were discovered outside Mantua, about 40km south of Verona. That’s the same Verona which is the home to the Romeo and Juliet story. Coincidence? I think not.

Finally, to quench your more (ahem) private desires, I give you the news of the top prize to be awarded in Venice’s 6th Erotic Poetry contest: Casanova’s cape. Well, okay, it’s not precisely the exact cape the great lover wore, but it’s a flowing black cape like the one he would have worn. Really, though, the poetry itself should be prize enough. The cape will be handed out on February 17 “after a poetry reading in which all participants will wear masks,” and more than 70 poets have entered the contest so far. The Erotic Poetry festival will be held in the Camp San Giacomo dell’Orio square in the Santa Croce district. I’m afraid I can’t be there this year, won’t you go and send me a full report?

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!