Feast of Saint Agatha in Catania
Three days of processions for the city's patron saint, with white-robed devotees, giant candle towers and fireworks
By Salvatore Giuliano Published Updated
The story
Agatha was a young Christian woman from a noble Catania family who had chosen to devote her life to God. During the persecution under Emperor Decius, the proconsul Quintianus put her on trial and had her tortured, even having her breasts cut off, to make her renounce her faith. She died in prison on 5 February 251. A year later, the story goes, a violent eruption of Mount Etna threatened the city, and the lava stopped when the people of Catania carried her veil in procession. Ever since, Agatha has been invoked against fire and eruptions.
Her relics were taken to Constantinople in 1040 and brought back to Catania on 17 August 1126 by two soldiers, Gisliberto and Goselmo, which is why the city also celebrates her in August. Today they are kept in Saint Agatha's chapel inside the cathedral, together with the reliquary bust made between 1373 and 1376 by the Sienese artist Giovanni di Bartolo. In February the bust leaves the cathedral on the fercolo, a silver processional carriage built in 1518 and rebuilt after the bombings of 1943.
It is hauled through the streets on long ropes by thousands of devotees dressed in the "sacco", a white tunic tied at the waist with a cord, with white gloves, a white handkerchief and a black velvet cap. Ahead of it come the candelore, huge carved wooden candle towers weighing up to 900 kg, carried on the shoulders of teams of men with a distinctive swaying step. One cry echoes through the whole feast: "Cittadini, semu tutti divoti, tutti!", Sicilian for "Citizens, we are all devotees, all of us!" On 4 and 5 February the crowds run into the hundreds of thousands.
Schedule
- Procession of the offering of wax, from the church of Sant'Agata alla Fornace (Piazza Stesicoro) to the cathedral
- In the evening, fireworks in Piazza Duomo: the famous "'a sira 'o tri", the night of the 3rd
- Dawn Mass in the cathedral, then the reliquary bust comes out on the fercolo
- Outer circuit (giro esterno): the procession passes Porta Uzeda, Via Dusmet, Piazza Carlo Alberto, Piazza Stesicoro, the Cappuccini climb and Sant'Agata la Vetere, returning to the cathedral in the early hours of 5 February
- Pontifical Mass in the cathedral on the patron saint's day
- Inner circuit (giro interno): from the afternoon the fercolo climbs Via Etnea to Piazza Cavour, then tackles the steep Via di Sangiuliano and returns to the cathedral on the morning of 6 February
- Octave: solemn evening Mass in the cathedral and procession of the relics around Piazza Duomo
The official schedule for 2027 has not been published yet, so the dates shown are provisional. We will update this page as soon as the calendar is announced.
What to eat
The sweet that sums up the feast is the cassatella di Sant'Agata, nicknamed "minne" (breasts), whose shape recalls the saint's martyrdom. Alongside it you'll find olivette, little green sugar-paste sweets shaped like olives.
Along the procession route, stalls sell calia e simenza, roasted chickpeas and salted pumpkin seeds, a fixture at every street festival in Catania.
Local tips
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Parking
During the feast, parts of the historic center are closed to traffic and several AMTS bus lines are rerouted: in 2026, for example, Piazza Duomo, Via Dusmet and Via VI Aprile were closed on the morning of 4 February. Leave the car outside the center and walk; before you go, check the city council's traffic orders and AMTS notices.
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Payments
The stalls selling sweets and calia e simenza along the route are small street vendors, so keep some cash in small bills on you.
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Crowds and timing
On 4 and 5 February the city fills with hundreds of thousands of people, and the processions last many hours, with timings that can slip considerably from year to year. If you want to catch a specific moment, such as the climb up Via di Sangiuliano, get there well ahead of time and follow local news for live updates.
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What to wear
In February you'll be standing outside for hours, often at night: dress in layers and wear comfortable shoes with good grip, because the streets along the route of the candle-bearing devotees get covered in wax. In the cathedral, dress as you would for any place of worship.
Weather forecast
Data: Open-Meteo
Getting there
The feast centers on the cathedral in Piazza Duomo, in the historic center. From Fontanarossa Airport, about 5 km away, the AMTS Alibus shuttle takes you to the center and the central station; during the feast it's best to get around on foot.
Things to do this weekend in Sicily →
Frequently asked questions
When is the Feast of Saint Agatha in Catania?
Every year from 3 to 5 February, with the procession returning to the cathedral on the morning of the 6th, the octave on 12 February and a second feast on 17 August, the anniversary of the relics' return. The official 2027 schedule has not been published yet.
Do I need a ticket to attend?
No: the processions, fireworks and celebrations are free to follow in the streets and in the cathedral.
What is the highlight of the feast?
For many locals it's the climb up Via di Sangiuliano, between the night and the morning of 6 February, when the fercolo is hauled up the steep street as far as the junction with Via dei Crociferi.
Who are the devotees dressed in white?
They are the faithful who pull the fercolo with ropes, wearing the white "sacco" tunic, gloves, a handkerchief and the black velvet cap.
