The Feast of Saint Agatha is one of the most spectacular religious events in Italy and the world. Every year, from 3 to 5 February, Catania stops to pay homage to its patron saint, celebrating her with a mixture of faith, history and folklore. This festival has its roots in the distant past, linked to the martyrdom of Saint Agatha in 251 AD and the subsequent veneration that developed over the centuries.
Today, the festivity involves hundreds of thousands of faithful, who wear the traditional white sack, and develops through religious rites, solemn processions and ancient popular traditions. But what is the true origin of the feast? How has it evolved over the centuries? We retrace its history from the earliest documented evidence to modern celebrations.
Origins of the Feast of Saint Agatha: the cult over the centuries
The veneration of Saint Agatha has deep roots, although there is no certain evidence of an official feast before the 12th century. The first historical reference dates back to the early 1500s, thanks to the Grand Master of Ceremonies Alvaro Paternò, who describes the celebrations in honour of the saint in his Ceremonial of 1522. However, the cult of Agatha dates back much earlier, as shown by some important archaeological evidence.
After her martyrdom in 251 AD, St Agatha’s fame spread rapidly. A first sign of veneration occurred as early as a year after her death, when the saint’s veil stopped an eruption of Mount Etna that threatened Catania. In the 4th century, there is evidence of the Agatha cult in other parts of the Roman Empire: a funerary tablet found in Ustica speaks of a woman who died on the very day dedicated to Saint Agatha.
The long Islamic rule (9th-11th century) erased many traces of public Christianity in Catania. Celebrations were banned and the cathedral was turned into a mosque. However, with the arrival of the Normans in 1061, the situation changed drastically: the cathedral was rebuilt and, in 1126, the saint’s relics were brought back to Catania by two soldiers who stole them from Constantinople. This event marked the rebirth of the public cult of Saint Agatha and probably the birth of the feast as we know it today.
The martyrdom of St Agatha and the birth of devotion
St Agatha was born in the 3rd century AD and, while still very young, took a vow of chastity, consecrating herself to God. This choice brought her persecution by the proconsul Quinziano, who, after brutally torturing her, condemned her to death on 5 February 251 AD.
The cult of the saint grew rapidly, and her relics became a source of great veneration. In 1040, the Byzantine general George Maniace stole them, taking them to Constantinople, where they remained for about 86 years. Only in 1126, thanks to the intervention of two Norman soldiers, did the relics return to Catania, causing a great outpouring of joy among the citizens.
This event was the real turning point in the history of the feast: the city, after centuries of foreign domination, found a new identity around the figure of Saint Agatha.
The feast days: processions, white sack and candelore
3 February: the wax offering and candelore
3 February marks the official start of the festivities with the traditional wax offering. During this ceremony, large votive candles, called candelore, are carried in procession through the streets of Catania.
The candelore, tall and decorated with Baroque friezes, represent the city’s ancient craft guilds and accompany the faithful along the sacred route. This day is characterised by great popular participation, with thousands of devotees dressed in the characteristic white sack, a symbol of purity and devotion.
4 February: the Aurora Mass and the first procession
4 February begins with the Aurora Mass, celebrated in Catania Cathedral. After the religious service, the silver coffin containing the relics of Saint Agatha is carried in procession through the streets of the city.
This first procession passes through the streets of the city centre, passing symbolic places linked to the life and martyrdom of the saint. The crowd accompanies the fercolo with songs, prayers and applause, creating an atmosphere of intense emotion.
5 February: the outer circle and the most awaited moment
5 February is the most anticipated day of the festival. The fercolo travels a much longer route, crossing the walls of the medieval city, once a symbol of protection for the Catanese.
The most striking moment comes with the ascent of San Giuliano, an extremely steep stretch, where devotees pull the fercolo with all their strength to carry it to the top. This act represents the sacrifice and dedication of the Catanese people towards their patron saint.
Only late at night, after a long route through the streets of the city, does the ferculum return to the cathedral, officially closing the celebration.
The meaning of the ‘sack’ and the legends of the feast
One of the most characteristic elements of the Feast of Saint Agatha is the white sack worn by devotees. According to popular legend, it is said to derive from the nightshirts worn by the Catanese the night the relics returned from Constantinople.
However, historically, the sack only appears in documents from 1500 onwards, when the so-called ‘nudes‘, i.e. the faithful who carried the ferculum half-naked, began to cover themselves with a white dress.
The feast today between faith and tradition
Today, the Feast of Saint Agatha continues to be one of the largest religious celebrations in Europe, attracting hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world.
Its combination of devotion, history and spectacle makes it unique, keeping the memory of Catania’s martyr alive and strengthening the community’s sense of belonging.
Saint Agatha is not only the patron saint of Catania, but a symbol of resistance and faith, capable of uniting generations of devotees in a ritual that has been repeated for centuries.