3-5 February 2023, Catania
One of the largest religious festivals in the world takes place the first week of February in the Sicilian city of Catania when it honors its patron saint, Sant’Agata. Some estimate that up to a million people line the streets to honor this martyred young woman with Sicilian roots.
The Festa di Sant’Agata in Catania starts with Mass at dawn on 4 February; then a statue of Saint Agatha holding her relics is placed on a 40,000 pound silver fercolo, or carriage, which is pulled up Monte Sanguiliano by 5,000 men. The celebrations continue into Saint Agatha’s feast day of 5 February.
