Agatha of Sicily () is a
Christian saint. Her
feast is on 5 February. Agatha was born in
Catania, 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.
Agatha is the patron saint of Catania,
Molise,
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
,
San Marino,
Gallipoli in Apulia, and
Zamarramala
Zamarramala is a village in the municipality of Segovia, Castile and León
Castile and León ( es, Castilla y León ; ast-leo, Castiella y Llión ; gl, Castela e León ) is an autonomous community in northwestern Spain.
It was created in 19 ...
, a municipality of the
Province of Segovia in Spain. She is also the patron saint of
breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or ...
patients,
martyrs,
wet nurses, bell-founders, and
bakers, and is invoked against fire, earthquakes, and eruptions of
Mount Etna.
Early history
Agatha is buried at the Badia di Sant'Agata, Catania. She is listed in the late 6th-century associated with
Jerome,
[ and the , the calendar of the church of Carthage, . Agatha also appears in one of the of Venantius Fortunatus.
Two early churches were dedicated to her in Rome; Sant'Agata in via della Lugaretta, Trastevere, and notably the Church of Sant'Agata dei Goti in Via Mazzarino, a titular church 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, hence its name "Saint Agatha of ]Goths
The Goths ( got, 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰, translit=''Gutþiuda''; la, Gothi, grc-gre, Γότθοι, Gótthoi) were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Euro ...
", and later reconsecrated by Gregory the Great, who confirmed her traditional sainthood.
Agatha is also depicted in the mosaics of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, where she appears, richly dressed, in the procession of female 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 (250–253) in Catania, Sicily, for her determined profession of faith.[Kirsch, Johann Peter. "St. Agatha." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 25 Apr. 2013]
/ref>
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'' bound into a composite volume in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, originating probably in Autun, Burgundy; in its margin illustrations Magdalena Carrasco detected Carolingian or Late Antique iconographic traditions.
According to the 13th-century '' Golden Legend'' (III.15) by Jacobus de Voragine, 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 torn off with tongs. 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 (also known as immolation) is an execution and murder 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 f ...
; however, an earthquake prevented this from happening, and she was instead sent to prison, where St. Peter the Apostle appeared to her and healed her wounds.[Stracke, J. R., "Saint Agatha of Sicily", Georgia Regents University, Augusta Georgia]
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, ''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, 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 with her feast on 5 February. Several Church of England parish churches are dedicated to her.
A feast day to honor Agatha on 5 February was given final authorization in the Episcopal Church in 2022.
Translation of her relics is commemorated on 10 March and 17 August.
]
Festival of Saint Agatha in Catania
The Festival of Saint Agatha in Catania is a major festival in the region, it takes place in the first five days of February. The Catania Cathedral (also known as ) is dedicated to her.
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, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...
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 Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, where in 1551 her intercession through a reported apparition to a Benedictine nun is said to have saved Malta from Turkish invasion.["St. Agatha", St. Agatha's Crypt, Catacombs & Museum]
/ref>
She became the patron saint of the Republic of San Marino after Pope Clement XII restored the independence of the state on her feast day of 5 February 1740.
She is also the patron saint of Catania, Sorihuela del Guadalimar (Spain), Molise, San Marino and Kalsa, a historical quarter of Palermo.
She is claimed as the patroness of Palermo. The year after her death, the stilling of an eruption of Mount Etna 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
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, 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 Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
, 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 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
.
Iconography
Saint Agatha is often depicted iconographically carrying her excised breasts on a platter, as in Bernardino Luini's ''Saint Agatha'' (1510–1515) in the Galleria Borghese, Rome, in which Agatha contemplates the breasts on a standing salver 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 have a tradition of gathering on Saint Agatha's Eve ( eu, Santa Ageda bezpera) and going round the village. Homeowners can choose to hear a song about her life, accompanied by the beats of their walking sticks on the floor or a prayer for the household's deceased. After that, the homeowner donates food to the chorus. This song has varying lyrics according to the local tradition and the Basque language. An exceptional case was that of 1937, during the Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlism, Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebeli ...
, when a version appeared that in the Spanish language 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 government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931, after the deposition of King Alfonso XIII, and was dissolved on 1 ...
.
An annual festival to commemorate the life of Saint Agatha takes place in Catania, Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
, 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 or kalendar, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches that determines when feast days, including celebrations of saints, are to be observed, and which ...
of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America on 5 February
Events Pre-1600
* 62 – Earthquake in Pompeii, Italy.
*1576 – Henry of Navarre abjures Catholicism at Tours and rejoins the Protestant forces in the French Wars of Religion.
* 1597 – A group of early Japanese Christians are ...
.
In art
Agatha is a featured figure on Judy Chicago's 1979 installation piece '' The Dinner Party'', 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 styl ...
, ''Saint Agatha Attended by Saint Peter and an Angel in Prison'', The Walters Art Museum
File:Santa Agueda - Zurbarán (detalle).png, Saint Agatha, detail from a painting of Francisco de Zurbarán
File:Piero, sant'agata.jpg, Saint Agatha bearing her severed breasts on a platter, by Piero della Francesca ()
File:Giulio Campi Entierro de Santa Agata.jpg, ''Burial of St Agatha'', by Giulio Campi
Giulio Campi (1502 – 5 March 1572) was an Italian painter and architect. His brothers Vincenzo Campi and Antonio Campi were also renowned painters.
Biography
The eldest of a family prominent painters, Campi was born at Cremona. His father Ga ...
, 1537
File:Lanfranco, Giovanni - St Peter Healing St Agatha - c. 1614.jpg, ''Saint Peter Healing Agatha'', by the Caravaggio-follower Giovanni Lanfranco,
See also
* Incorruptibility
* List of Catholic saints
This is an incomplete list of people and angels whom the Catholic Church has canonized as saints. According to Catholic theology, all saints enjoy the beatific vision. Many of the saints listed here are to be found in the General Roman Cal ...
* Saint Agatha of Sicily, patron saint archive
* Santa Gadea ''Santa Gadea'' ( es, Iglesia de Santa Águeda) is a church dedicated to Saint Agatha in Burgos, Spain. The church is famous in history and literature for being the site where Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (El Cid) at the behest of the Castilian Cortes, f ...
, a church of historical importance devoted to Agatha, located in Burgos
Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos.
Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence o ...
* Breast tax, Breast tax in Travancore
* Nangeli
The story of Nangeli depicts a Ezhava woman to have lived in the early 19th century in Cherthala in the erstwhile princely state of Travancore in India, and supposedly cut off her breasts in an effort to protest against a tax on breast.
Viewed ...
, Woman who cut her breast in protest Nangeli
The story of Nangeli depicts a Ezhava woman to have lived in the early 19th century in Cherthala in the erstwhile princely state of Travancore in India, and supposedly cut off her breasts in an effort to protest against a tax on breast.
Viewed ...
Further reading
*'' Of Saint Agatha'' in "Ælfric's Lives of Saints", by Ælfric of Eynsham ''London, Pub. for the Early English text society, by N. Trübner & co.'' (1881).
*
*
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
* The Saint Agatha Virgin and Martyr Catholic Church" at the Nova Crnja 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
Ante-Nicene Christian female saints
Anglican saints