Catania's patron saint, besides arousing fervor among the inhabitants, stimulates various curiosities. Interest in history, archaeology, and folklore emerges. All this with the places of worship which saw Saint Agatha as the protagonist. Anecdotes that fascinate believers and non-believers alike, which evoke tradition, values, customs, and traditions.
A pilgrimage through the historic center
From the Civita district to the Antico Corso area, there is a swarm of references and various curiosities regarding the patron saint of Catania. The events of Agatha took place near the Montevergine hill, the founding site of Catania. Between Piazza Stesicoro and the remains of the Roman Amphitheatre is the church of San Biagio, also known as Saint Agatha at the Fornace. It takes this second name because it is present 'a carcaredda, a furnace built for human torture. According to legend, the martyrdom of Saint Agatha It happened here, namely, the cutting of her breasts and then her suffering among burning coals. To the right of the religious building is the chapel dedicated to the patron saint. Here, behind glass, is the furnace where she was martyred. A Latin inscription commemorates this: Hic Vultata est Candentibus, “Here she was turned among the burning coals.”
Places of worship: Church of Sant'Agata al Carcere
It stands out in all its majesty and uniqueness. It is an emblem of medieval Catania. A corner of the Bastion, part of the walls that once surrounded the city, is present. This in turn encompasses what, according to tradition, was the prison for the patron saint. Therefore, it is called Bastion of Sant'Agata. The building, on the main altar, preserves a canvas from 1558, by Bernardino Nigro, The martyrdom of Saint Agatha. In the work, the place of martyrdom is connected with the amphitheatre, since this is represented behind the saint and the executioners.
The chest with which, in 1126, two Byzantine soldiers brought Agatha's remains back to Catania from Constantinople and returned them to Bishop Maurice is present. The relics were stolen in 1040, and with this restitution, Agatha's sanctity was upheld. Two lava stone slabs preserve the saint's footprints, as well as another relic. To the north of the nave, accessible through a small door, is the interior of the Prison. A marble statue of the saint commemorates her healing from the martyrdom of the breasts by St. PeterThe place of Agatha's death, which occurred in 251 AD, maintains a subdued yet solemn atmosphere. In the 6th-7th centuries it was identified as the Agatha's cell.
Church of Sant'Agata la Vetere: Among many curiosities
It was the city's oldest cathedral until 1091. According to historical sources, when the building was used as one of several places of worship, Agatha's relics were transferred. It is presumed that the original burial place was San Gaetano alle Grotte, a church early ChristianSome scholars maintain that the saint's burial took place in the necropolis of Via Dottor Consoli, venerated together with the other patron saint Euplio; a theory that would be confirmed by the epigraph of Iulia Fiorentina. A series of conflicting studies that, however, find the saint's life even more interesting and fascinating.
A building that has undergone various transformations over the centuries, from its incorporation, in 1500, on three sides by a Bastion later called the Holy Prison. In 1693, with the earthquake, the church was almost completely destroyed; only the underground crypt. Identified thanks to an intuition of Ugo Aresco, here Agata underwent the first level of judgment.
The church also features, according to legend, Saint Lucia's visit to Agatha's tomb, praying for her mother's healing. Soon after the patron saint's death, the people of Catania began to ask her for protection, starting with an eruption. In Sant'Agata della Vetere, there are six processional candles, some of the so-called candlestick. At the entrance, a wooden coffin, protected by a glass case; it is believed the saint's remains have been here for 500 years. A rich and varied journey, both educational and recreational. The places of worship of Saint Agatha evoke history, legend, folklore, and a glimpse into how the people of Catania have evolved over time.
