Agatha of Sicily () is a

Christian saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

. Her

feast A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes inc ...

is on 5 February. Agatha was born in

Catania Catania (, , , Sicilian and ) is the second-largest municipality on Sicily, after Palermo, both by area and by population. Despite being the second city of the island, Catania is the center of the most densely populated Sicilian conurbation, wh ...

, part of the Roman Province of Sicily, and was martyred . She is one of several virgin martyrs who are commemorated by name in the

Canon of the Mass The Canon of the Mass (), also known as the Canon of the Roman Mass and in the Mass of Paul VI as the Roman Canon or Eucharistic Prayer I, is the oldest Anaphora (liturgy), anaphora used in the Roman Rite of Mass (liturgy), Mass. The name ''Canon ...

. Agatha is the patron saint of Catania,

Molise Molise ( , ; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. Until 1963, it formed part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise together with Abruzzo. The split, which did not become effective until 1970, makes Molise the newest region in Ital ...

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

San Marino San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is a landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy. Located on the northeastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains, it is the larger of two European microstates, microsta ...

, Gallipoli in Apulia, and

Zamarramala Zamarramala is a village in the municipality of Segovia, Castile and León, Spain. It stands above its surroundings and can be seen from Segovia proper. In the past, it had its own town hall, but it became part of Segovia in the 1970s. Fiesta de Sa ...

, a municipality of the

Province of Segovia Segovia () is a province of central/northern Spain, in the southern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered by the province of Burgos in the north, Soria in the northeast, Guadalajara in the east, Madrid in the south, ...

in Spain. She is also the patron saint of

breast cancer Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...

patients, rape victims,

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...

wet nurse A wet nurse is a woman who breastfeeding, breastfeeds and cares for another's child. Wet nurses are employed if the mother dies, if she is unable to nurse the child herself sufficiently or chooses not to do so. Wet-nursed children may be known a ...

s, bell-founders, and

baker A baker is a tradesperson who baking, bakes and sometimes Sales, sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery. History Ancient histo ...

s, and is invoked against fire, earthquakes, and eruptions of

Mount Etna Mount Etna, or simply Etna ( or ; , or ; ; or ), is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Catania, between the cities of Messina, Italy, Messina and Catania. It is located above the Conve ...

Early history

Agatha is buried at the Badia di Sant'Agata, Catania. She is listed in the late-6th-century associated with

Jerome Jerome (; ; ; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was an early Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, theologian, translator, and historian; he is commonly known as Saint Jerome. He is best known ...

, and the , the calendar of the church of Carthage, . Agatha also appears in one of the of

Venantius Fortunatus Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus ( 530 600/609 AD; ), known as Saint Venantius Fortunatus (, ), was a Latin poet and hymnographer in the Merovingian Court, and a bishop of the Early Church who has been venerated since the Middle Ages. ...

. Two early churches were dedicated in her honor in Rome,

Sant'Agata in Trastevere Sant'Agata in Trastevere is one of the churches of Rome, located in the Trastevere, Trastevere district, at Largo San Giovanni de Matha, 91. The church is dedicated to the Sicilian St Agatha, martyred in approximately 251, whose cult soon spread ...

and notably the Church of Sant'Agata dei Goti in Via Mazzarino, a

titular church In the Catholic Church, a titular church () is a Churches in Rome, church in Rome that is assigned to a member of the Holy orders in the Catholic Church, clergy who is created a Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal. These are Catholic churches in ...

with apse mosaics of and traces of a fresco cycle, overpainted by Gismondo Cerrini in 1630. In the 6th century AD, the church was adapted to

Arianism Arianism (, ) is a Christology, Christological doctrine which rejects the traditional notion of the Trinity and considers Jesus to be a creation of God, and therefore distinct from God. It is named after its major proponent, Arius (). It is co ...

, hence its name "Saint Agatha of

Goths The Goths were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe. They were first reported by Graeco-Roman authors in the 3rd century AD, living north of the Danube in what is ...

", and later reconsecrated by

Gregory the Great Pope Gregory I (; ; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great (; ), was the 64th Bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 until his death on 12 March 604. He is known for instituting the first recorded large-scale mission from Rom ...

, who confirmed her traditional sainthood. Agatha is also depicted in the mosaics of

Sant'Apollinare Nuovo The Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo is a basilica church in Ravenna, Italy. It was erected by the Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great as his palace chapel during the first quarter of the 6th century (as attested to in the ''Liber Pontificalis ...

Ravenna Ravenna ( ; , also ; ) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century until its Fall of Rome, collapse in 476, after which ...

, where she appears, richly dressed, in the

procession A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner. History Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...

of virgin martyrs along the north wall. Her image forms an initial 'I' in the Sacramentary of Gellone, which dates from the end of the 8th century.

Life

One of the most highly venerated virgin martyrs of Christian antiquity, Agatha was put to death during the

Decian persecution Christians were persecuted in 250 AD under the Decius, Roman emperor Decius. He had issued an edict ordering everyone in the empire to perform a sacrifice to the Roman gods and the well-being of the emperor. The sacrifices had to be performed ...

(250–253) in Catania, Sicily, for her determined profession of faith. Her written legend comprises "straightforward accounts of interrogation, torture, resistance, and triumph which constitute some of the earliest hagiographic literature", and are reflected in later recensions, the earliest surviving one being an illustrated late-10th-century '' passio''. According to the 13th-century ''

Golden Legend The ''Golden Legend'' ( or ''Legenda sanctorum'') is a collection of 153 hagiographies by Jacobus de Voragine that was widely read in Europe during the Late Middle Ages. More than a thousand manuscripts of the text have survived.Hilary Maddo ...

'' (III.15) by

Jacobus de Voragine Jacobus de Voragine, OP (13/16 July 1298) was an Italian chronicler and archbishop of Genoa. He was the author, or more accurately the compiler, of the '' Golden Legend'', a collection of the legendary lives of the greater saints of the mediev ...

, 15-year-old Agatha, from a rich and noble family, made a vow of virginity and rejected the amorous advances of the Roman prefect Quintianus, who thought he could force her to turn away from her vow and marry him. His persistent proposals were consistently spurned by Agatha. This was during the persecutions of Decius, so Quintianus, knowing she was a Christian, reported her to the authorities. Quintianus himself was governor of the district. Quintianus expected Agatha to give in to his demands when faced with torture and possible death, but Agatha simply reaffirmed her belief in God by praying: "Jesus Christ, Lord of all, you see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am. I am your sheep: make me worthy to overcome the devil." To force her to change her mind, Quintianus sent Agatha to Aphrodisia, the keeper of a brothel, and had her imprisoned there; however, the punishment failed, with Agatha remaining a Christian. Quintianus sent for Agatha again, arguing with her and threatening her, before finally having her imprisoned and tortured. She was stretched on a rack to be torn with iron hooks, burned with torches, and whipped. Her breasts were removed by tongs. AgatheRouenCathedral

After further dramatic confrontations with Quintianus, represented in a sequence of dialogues in her ''passio'' that document her fortitude and steadfast devotion, Agatha was then sentenced to be

burnt at the stake Death by burning is an execution, murder, or suicide method involving combustion or exposure to extreme heat. It has a long history as a form of public capital punishment, and many societies have employed it as a punishment for and warning agai ...

; however, an earthquake prevented this from happening, and she was instead sent to prison, where St.

Peter the Apostle Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the early Christian Church. He appears repe ...

appeared to her and healed her wounds. Agatha died in prison, probably in the year 251 according to the . Although the martyrdom of Agatha is authenticated, and her veneration as a saint had spread beyond her native place even in antiquity, there is no reliable information concerning the details of her death.

Osbern Bokenam Osbern Bokenam (c. 1393 – c. 1464, also spelt Bokenham) was an English Augustinian (Austin) friar and poet. He was a follower of Geoffrey Chaucer. Life Osbern Bokenam was born, according to his own account, on 6 October 1393. His name suggest ...

, ''A Legend of Holy Women'', written in the 1440s, offers some further detail.

Veneration

According to Maltese tradition, during the persecution of Roman Emperor Decius (AD 249–251), Agatha, together with some of her friends, fled from Sicily and took refuge in Malta. Some historians believe that her stay on the island was rather short, and she spent her days in a rock-hewn crypt at

Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ) is the Capital (political), capital city of Morocco and the List of cities in Morocco, country's seventh-largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan population of over 1.2 million. ...

, praying and teaching Christianity to children. After some time, Agatha returned to Sicily, where she faced martyrdom. Agatha was arrested and brought before Quintianus, praetor of Catania, who condemned her to torture and imprisonment. The crypt of St. Agatha is an underground basilica, which from early ages was venerated by the Maltese. At the time of St. Agatha's stay, the crypt was a small natural cave, which, later on, during the 4th or 5th century, was enlarged and embellished. After the Reformation era, Agatha was retained in the calendar of the Church of England's

Book of Common Prayer The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the title given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christianity, Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The Book of Common Prayer (1549), fi ...

with her feast on 5 February. Several Church of England parish churches are dedicated in her honor. A feast day to honor Agatha on 5 February was given final authorization in the Episcopal Church in 2022. The translation of her relics is commemorated on 10 March and 17 August.

Festival of Saint Agatha in Catania

The Festival of Saint Agatha in

is a major festival in the region, it takes place during the first five days of February. The

Catania Cathedral The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Agatha (), usually known as the Catania Cathedral (), is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. It was the seat of the Bishops of Catania until 1859, when the diocese was elevated to an a ...

(also known as ) is dedicated in her honor. File:Catania I cannalori.jpg, alt=A sepia-toned black and white photograph of a crowd of people., The Festival of Saint Agatha in 1915 File:Catania Festa S.Agata CANDELORA.jpg, The Festival of Saint Agatha in 2007 File:Folklore catania sant'agata la salita dei cappuccini (2247621233).jpg, The Festival of Saint Agatha in 2008 File:Catania's duomo and balloons.jpg, Catania's duomo during the festival

Patronage

Saint Agatha is the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

of rape victims, breast cancer patients, wet nurses, and bellfounders (due to the shape of her severed breasts). She is also considered to be a powerful intercessor when people suffer from fires. Her feast day is celebrated on 5 February. She is also a patron saint of

, where in 1551 her intercession through a reported apparition to a Benedictine nun is said to have saved Malta from Turkish invasion. She became the patron saint of the

Republic of San Marino A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a state in which political power rests with the public (people), typically through their representatives—in contrast to a monarchy. Although a ...

after

Pope Clement XII Pope Clement XII (; ; 7 April 16526 February 1740), born Lorenzo Corsini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 July 1730 to his death in February 1740. Clement presided over the growth of a surplus in the papal ...

restored the independence of the state on her feast day of 5 February 1740. She is also the patron saint of

, Sorihuela del Guadalimar (Spain),

and Kalsa, a historical quarter of

Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...

. She is claimed as the patroness of

. The year after her death, the stilling of an eruption of

was attributed to her intercession. As a result, apparently, people continued to ask her prayers for protection against fire.Foley O.F.M., Leonard. ''Saint of the Day'', (revised by Pat McCloskey O.F.M.), Franciscan Media
In

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, Agatha is considered the patron saint of fire services. In the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, Agatha is the patron saint of bell ringers in service of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

Iconography

Saint Agatha is often depicted iconographically carrying her excised breasts on a platter, as in

Bernardino Luini Bernardino Luini (/82 – June 1532) was a north Italian painter from Leonardo's circle during the High Renaissance. Both Luini and Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio were said to have worked with Leonardo directly; he was described as having taken ...

's ''Saint Agatha'' (1510–1515) in the Galleria Borghese, Rome, in which Agatha contemplates the breasts on a standing

salver A salver is a flat heavy tray of silver, other metal or glass used for carrying or serving glasses, cups, and dishes at a table, or for the presenting of a letter or card by a servant. In a royal or noble household the fear of poisoning led to ...

held in her hand. The tradition of making shaped pastry on the feast of St. Agatha, such as Agatha bread or buns, or so-called ("Breasts of St. Agatha") or ("Breasts of the virgin"), is found in many countries.

Legacy

The

Basque people The Basques ( or ; ; ; ) are a Southwestern European ethnic group, characterised by the Basque language, a common culture and shared genetic ancestry to the ancient Vascones and Aquitanians. Basques are indigenous to, and primarily i ...

have a tradition of gathering on Saint Agatha's Eve () and going door-to-door through their village. Homeowners can then choose to hear a song about Agatha's life, which is accompanied by the beats of the choir's walking sticks on the ground or else a prayer for the household's deceased. After that, the homeowner donates food to the choir. The song's lyrics vary according to each local tradition and the

Basque language Basque ( ; ) is a language spoken by Basques and other residents of the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country, a region that straddles the westernmost Pyrenees in adjacent parts of northern Spain and southwestern France. Basque ...

dialect spoken locally. In 1937, during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

, a version of the song in Spanish was composed. In the lyrics, this Spanish version praised the Soviet ship ''Komsomol'', which had sunk while carrying Soviet weapons to the

Second Spanish Republic The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of democratic government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931 after the deposition of Alfonso XIII, King Alfonso XIII. ...

. An annual festival to commemorate the life of Saint Agatha takes place in

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

, from 3 to 5 February. The festival culminates in an all-night procession through the city. St. Agatha's Tower is a former Knight's stronghold located in the north west of Malta. The seventeenth-century tower served as a military base during both World Wars and was used as a radar station by the Maltese army. St. Agatha is also commemorated in literature. The Italian poet Martha Marchina wrote an epigram in that commemorates her martyrdom. In it, Marchina characterizes Agatha as powerful and she reclaims that power because she has become more beautiful through her wounds. Agatha of Sicily is honored with a Lesser Feast on the

liturgical calendar The liturgical year, also called the church year, Christian year, ecclesiastical calendar, or kalendar, consists of the cycle of liturgical days and seasons that determines when feast days, including celebrations of saints, are to be obs ...

of the

Episcopal Church in the United States of America The Episcopal Church (TEC), also known as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America (PECUSA), is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion, based in the United States. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is ...

5 February Events Pre-1600 * *2 BC – Caesar Augustus is granted the title '' pater patriae'' by the Roman Senate. * 62 – Earthquake in Pompeii, Italy. * 756 – Chinese New Year; An Lushan proclaims himself Emperor of China and founds th ...

In art

Agatha is a featured figure on

Judy Chicago Judy Chicago (born Judith Sylvia Cohen; July 20, 1939) is an American feminist artist, art educator, and writer known for her large collaborative art installation pieces about birth and creation images, which examine the role of women in history ...

's 1979 installation piece ''

The Dinner Party ''The Dinner Party'' is an installation artwork by American feminist artist Judy Chicago. There are 39 elaborate place settings on a triangular table for 39 mythical and historical famous women. Sacajawea, Sojourner Truth, Eleanor of Aquitaine, ...

'', being represented as one of the 999 names on the '' Heritage Floor''. File:Alessandro Turchi - Saint Agatha Attended by Saint Peter and an Angel in Prison - Walters 37552.jpg,

Alessandro Turchi Alessandro Turchi (1578 – 22 January 1649) was an Italian painter of the early Baroque, born and active mainly in Verona, and moving late in life to Rome. He also went by the name Alessandro Veronese or the nickname ''L'Orbetto''. His style ...

, ''Saint Agatha Attended by Saint Peter and an Angel in Prison'',

The Walters Art Museum The Walters Art Museum is a public art museum located in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. Founded and opened in 1934, it holds collections from the mid-19th century that were amassed substantially by major American art an ...

File:Sant'Agata - Guarini.jpg, ''Sant'Agata, Francesco Guarini'' Martirio di sant'Agata (taglio dei seni) - Guarino.jpg, ''Martirio di sant'Agata (taglio dei seni) - Church of

Sant'Agata Irpina Solofra ( Solofrano: , ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Avellino, in the Campania region of Southern Italy. Geography The town is bordered by Aiello del Sabato, Calvanico ( SA), Contrada, Montoro Superiore and Serino. Its ''fra ...

File:Santa Agueda - Zurbarán (detalle).png, Saint Agatha, detail from a painting of

Francisco de Zurbarán Francisco de Zurbarán ( , ; baptized 7 November 1598 – 27 August 1664) was a Spanish painter. He is known primarily for his religious paintings depicting monks, nuns, and martyrs, and for his still-lifes. Zurbarán gained the nickname "Spanis ...

File:Piero, sant'agata.jpg, Saint Agatha bearing her severed breasts on a platter, by

Piero della Francesca Piero della Francesca ( , ; ; ; – 12 October 1492) was an Italian Renaissance painter, Italian painter, mathematician and List of geometers, geometer of the Early Renaissance, nowadays chiefly appreciated for his art. His painting is charact ...

() File:Giulio Campi Entierro de Santa Agata.jpg, ''Burial of St Agatha'', by Giulio Campi, 1537 File:Lanfranco, Giovanni - St Peter Healing St Agatha - c. 1614.jpg, ''Saint Peter Healing Agatha'', by the Caravaggio-follower

Giovanni Lanfranco Giovanni Lanfranco (26 January 1582 – 30 November 1647) was an Italian Baroque painter. Biography Giovanni Gaspare Lanfranco was born in Parma, the third son of Stefano and Cornelia Lanfranchi, and was placed as a page in the household of Coun ...

Notes

References

External links

"St Agatha - St Peter's Square Colonnades"
from Jacobus Voragine, ''The Golden Legend'', tr. William Caxton.
"Saint Agatha of Sicily"
at th
Christian Iconography
website
Butler, Alban. ''The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints'', Vol. I, D. & J. Sadlier, & Company, 1864

"Saint Agatha Movie"
at th
Delusion
website

ovies about Saint Agatha* The Saint Agatha Virgin and Martyr Catholic Church" at the

Nova Crnja Nova Crnja ( sr-Cyrl, Нова Црња; , ; , ) is a village and municipality located in the Central Banat District of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. The village has a population of 1,007, while the municipality has 8,147 inhabita ...

municipality.
The Votive Aedicules in honour of Saint Agata in Catania
{{DEFAULTSORT:Agatha Of Sicily 231 births 251 deaths Italian saints Sicilian saints 3rd-century Roman women 3rd-century Christian martyrs 3rd-century Christian saints Year of birth unknown Virgin martyrs National symbols of Malta Ancient Christian female saints Anglican saints Mount Etna