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Sant’Agata la Vetere is a
An aedicule recalling the site where Agatha of Sicily fa, was erected by bishop St Everio some 13 years after her death in 264. A church at this site was putatively established by bishop San Severino between 380 and 436, making it among the oldest churches in the city. Enlarged circa 777, the church served as Catania's cathedral for eight centuries, until replaced by the new Sant'Agata Cathedral at the eastern edge of the city, thus the suffix ''la vetere'' given to this church.
It is putatively sited at the site where Saint Agatha was placed on trial. Her relics were supposed brought here in the 8th century, when the area was used for burials. It is said the Byzantine general Visit Catania website, entry on Sant'Agata la Vetere
/ref> The exterior is sparse and sober, with a broken pediment over the portal. The interior contains an altarapiece by
Sant’Agata la Vetere is a Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
church located in the piazza of the same name (along via Santa Maddalena) in Catania
Catania (, , Sicilian and ) is the second largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo. Despite its reputation as the second city of the island, Catania is the largest Sicilian conurbation, among the largest in Italy, as evidenced also by ...
, Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
, southern Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. East of church and nearby, but facing in the other direction, are two other churches venerating St Agatha of Sicily
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 Mas ...
: the church of Sant'Agata al Carcere and two blocks east on Piazza Stesicoro is Sant'Agata alla Fornace
San Biagio, previously called Sant'Agata alla Fornace or ''La Fornace'' or ''Carcara'' is a Neoclassical architecture, Roman Catholic parish church located at the western edge of the Piazza Stesicoro in the quartiere San Biagio della Calcarella, ...
, now known San Biagio.
History and description
An aedicule recalling the site where Agatha of Sicily fa, was erected by bishop St Everio some 13 years after her death in 264. A church at this site was putatively established by bishop San Severino between 380 and 436, making it among the oldest churches in the city. Enlarged circa 777, the church served as Catania's cathedral for eight centuries, until replaced by the new Sant'Agata Cathedral at the eastern edge of the city, thus the suffix ''la vetere'' given to this church.
It is putatively sited at the site where Saint Agatha was placed on trial. Her relics were supposed brought here in the 8th century, when the area was used for burials. It is said the Byzantine general George Maniakes
George Maniakes (, transliterated as Georgios Maniaces, Maniakis, or Maniaches, , ; died 1043) was a prominent general of the Byzantine Empire of Byzantine Greek origin
during the 1 ...
brought her relics to Constantinople in 1040, during his raid to reconquer what was then the Emirate of Sicily
The Emirate of Sicily ( ar, إِمَارَة صِقِلِّيَة, ʾImārat Ṣiqilliya) was an Islamic kingdom that ruled the island of Sicily from 831 to 1091. Its capital was Palermo (Arabic: ''Balarm''), which during this period became a ...
. Putatively they were returned in 1026, though as typical for many saint relics, multiple pieces of her body are claimed by various churches in Europe.
Since the start of the 17th-century the church was assigned to the Franciscan order
, image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg
, image_size = 200px
, caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans
, abbreviation = OFM
, predecessor =
, ...
, who built an adjacent convent. It stood surrounded on three sides by the 16th-century city walls. In 1818, an earthquake caused the roof to collapse. The small church present now was rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake
The 1693 Sicily earthquake struck parts of southern Italy near Sicily, Calabria, and Malta on January 11 at around 21:00 local time. This earthquake was preceded by a damaging foreshock on January 9. The main quake had an estimated magnitude of 7. ...
, with traces of the ancient Roman substructures in the crypt. The church houses the putative sarcophagus of Saint Agatha with Roman marble and Byzantine stone additions. Now used as an altar, it once housed the relics of the saint./ref> The exterior is sparse and sober, with a broken pediment over the portal. The interior contains an altarapiece by
Giuseppe Sciuti
Giuseppe Sciuti (Zafferana Etnea, Sicily, 26 February 1834 - Rome, 13 March 1911) was an Italian painter.
Biography
His father, a pharmacist, insisted his son follow his trade. But he relented and allowed Giuseppe to study locally at age 15, and ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Agata la Vetere 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches in Catania