Sant'Agata

SANT'AGATA

The festival begins on February 3 with the procession of the offer of the wax at Sant'Agata in procession the twelve cannalore, we start from the Church of Sant'Agata to Hell, the place where poor Agatha was martyred to reach the Cathedral sant 'Agata, participating city authorities on eighteenth-century carriages. The day ends in Piazza Duomo with the fireworks.

The 12 cannalore represent the corporations of arts and crafts of the city. They are wooden buildings in the baroque style, richly decorated, containing in the middle a big waxy (400-900Kg), carried on the shoulders.

The procession through the streets of the city begins February 4, the day that starts early with the commissioning of Dawn during which devotees in white dress singing. Released reliquary and the casket from the room that has kept thousands of faithful shout and waving a white handkerchief. Touching scene and engaging.

On February 5, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Pontifical Mass takes place
Agatha remains exposed in the Cathedral and in the afternoon the last procession along a path inside the city until dawn.

During the festival of the historical center lights up every year with different motifs and beautiful, do not miss the mosaic of lights built atop via Di Sangiuliano depicting every year a different scene from the life of St. Agatha

The festival is also celebrated August 17, the date that remembers the return from Constantinople to Catania of his remains, after 86 years.

The party acquires its magnitude and duration after the earthquake of 1693, when the city was rebuilt in orthogonal making the road easier. and after the 1669 date of the eruption of Etna. Since 1712 the festival was organized in two days.
Today is the feast of St. Agatha "good ethno anthropological heritage of humanity" of the city of Catania in the world.