The history of one of the most fascinating feasts in Italy.
One of the oldest and most fascinating feast day celebrations in Italy is the Festa di Sant’Agata which takes place from the 3rd to the 5th of February each year. The Festa di Sant’Agata is the most important religious festival held annually in Catania, Sicily. It's dedicated to the martyrdom of the patron saint of Catania, most notable is that during her life her breasts had been removed by the Roman prefect, Quintianus. Estimations say that a million people line the streets of the city during the three-day festa.
The three-day celebration opens on February 3rd with an afternoon procession of eleven candelore, large candle-shaped structures symbolizing the guilds. It ends in the evening in Piazza Duomo, where the Cattedrale di Sant'Agata stays located, with a fireworks display.
On February 4th, a statue of Sant’Agata holding her relics gets placed on a 40,000-pound silver fercolo, or carriage, and carried around the city until gets returned to the Cathedral late into the night. On February 5th, the day begins with Mass held at the Cathedral. Throughout the day, the reliquary bust of Sant’Agata is then exposed inside the church. In the afternoon, the bust gets taken for another procession, ending in the early morning of February 6th.
What happens during Festa di Sant'Agata
During the Festa of Sant’Agata traditional cakes get prepared. The most famous recipes are the Cassateddi Sant’Agata, also known as cassatina siciliana. These cakes are then shaped like breasts to honor Sant’Agata, who received torture by having her breasts cut off with pincers. Sant’Agata had taken a vow of virginity and refused to marry Quintianus, who reported her to the authorities for being a Christian during the Decian persecution. Sant’Agata is the patron saint of rape victims, breast cancer patients, and wet nurses.
Arianna DiCicco
Arianna DiCicco is an educator and writer from California, born into an Italian American restaurant family with strong ties to her grandparents’ home in Abruzzo, Italy. She has lived in San Francisco, Rome and New York City where she’s made deep connections within the Italian communities and gained new perspectives about her own culture. With a Masters in International Education, Arianna has a love and passion for learning and educating others about Italian history & culture.