From February 3 to 5, the Sicilian city of Catania pays homage to its patron saint, St Agatha, with its most important religious festival of the year. St Agatha of Sicily is a virgin martyr who was born in Catania or in Sicily’s capital, Palermo, AD 231. She is one of seven women, who, along with the Blessed Virgin Mary, are commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass.

St Agatha is the patron saint of Catania, Molise, Malta, San Marino and Zamarramala, a village in the province of Segovia in Spain. She is also the patron saint of breast cancer patients, martyrs, wet nurses, bell-founders, bakers, fire, earthquakes, and rape and torture victims.