The fourteenth-century bust-shrine of Saint Agatha adorned with magnificent jewels, it appears us as a perfect silloge of the Word of God, according to the medieval language of the gems, gems set in the gold, the noble metal symbol of the eternity and the triumph.
This unique sparkling that is at the same time masterpiece of the nature and of the man, is given by the almost 400 pieces: rings and episcopalian crosses, pendants, necklaces, pins, medals, rings, honours, flowers; whose elements of aesthetics, of technique provide a complete analysis of the history of the Sicilian jewel from the XV to the XX century.
The jewels today allocated on the bust are the fruit of a choice, wanted at that time by the archbishop of Catania the Cardinal Giuseppe Francica-Nava, which wanted to maintain the jewels of particular refinement and venial value.
Among them stands out the famous gold crown, sets on the head, constituted by 13 plates enriched from as many cornflowers. The tradition affirms that this crown has been a gift of the king of England Richard I Lyon's Heart, the researchers also arranging that the manufactured article has been manufactured for a ruler, because the elaboration, they are not able to suggest its holder.
They cover the bust the sparkling cross pectoral in emeralds and diamonds of the already mentioned Cardinal Nava, cross given and manufactured, it is narrated, with all the emeralds possessed by his mother, by Roman goldsmiths.
The pectoral cross of the blessed Cardinal Joseph Benedict Dusmet, that so many times, himself, brought to the Mountain of the Pawn to assist the more paupers; and still the pectoral crosses of the bishops of Catania: Deodati, Ferro, Ferrais, Patanè, Ventimiglia, this last, according to the wishes of the clergyman, it must have sold in case of necessity and the proceeds distributed to the poor men.
Among the other magnificent pieces we like to remember the particular pendants, set in the low anterior part of the bust, accomplished in gold, enamels, pearls or coral, in the shape of frog, of dog, of angel that hurl an arrow on a sea dragon, of lantern, of player of guitar, of ostrich and of eaglet; others two, really delicious, represent one, a siren that holds with the right the sun (an engraved ruby) with the left a crown; the second a crowned winged victory, that holds with the left a palm and with the right a bunch of flowers, objects that recall those exposed to the Museum of the Silvers in Florence.
Among the numerous rings, mainly in emerald and diamonds, we want to remember the gold ring with a big amethyst surrounded from 12 diamonds offered by the Queen Margherita of Savoia in the 1881 when she came in visit in the city of the elephant with the consort the king Umberto; and still, the ring with oriental topaz gift of the bishop of Catania Bonadies, a gold ring with the face of Christ in coral of manufacture of Trapani.
They enrich the treasure of the martyr Agatha numerous necklaces and belts, set both in the front side but mainly in the back, where they stretch out to all shut contact forming as a pleasant weaving that covers completely the shoulders; among those placed on the front they deserve attention the beautiful necklace in amethysts gift of the baroness Zappalà, and the collar of the Gold Toson formed by plates in enameled gold. About the belts we remember that in enameled gold with the coat of arms of Giulio Tudisco, that in oval meshes with the medal in gold with a saint and with the shield of the Gravina family.
Other votive offering of particular refinement are: an enameled gold flower with emeralds given by Mario Angel Tudisco, a little cross of Malta with 33 diamonds, a ring of brilliants gift of the Great Prior Paterno' Raddusa, the gold cross that holds the Virgo Agatha in the right hand adorned with ten emeralds gift of the bishop of Catania Monsignor Bonaventura Secusio, datable to the years of his bishopric 1609-1618.
The silvery bust is custodian of the cross of the Legion of Honour with which Luigi Filippo of Orleans, sovereign of French, honoured in 1835, Vincenzo Bellini. The cross was given to the fellow citizen Agatha from the family ones of the Swan in 1876, on the occasion of the bellinian parties, taken place for the return of the mortal remains of the composer.
The devotion to the Patron of Catania is not only prerogative of the catanesis, and this testifies it the pectoral cross, in yellow topazes, of the blessed Pope Pious IX in whose upside-down, within a crown of thorns we can read: 1877 Pious IX offered 6 June. A small cross in gold and lapislazuli, given by the monk Don Cesare Goto of Messina.
A gold cross of Malta with a corniola in the middle offered by Don Diego Pappalardo of Pedara. The modern times have not cancelled in the catanesis the joy to offer to their Patrona jewels as testimony of affection, deep devotion or for favours received. Let's limit us to remember the gift presented by the archbishop Luigi Bommarito, February 5 th 1995, a gold rose, jewel belonged to his mother, systematized in the group of the cross and the jasmines of the right hand; and still a precious jewel offered, during the 2000 celebrations, from the ex mayor of Catania Enzo Bianco and place in the left hand.
Contemplating the sparkling shrine, we notice that glows, for quantity and quality, emeralds and amethysts; certainly curious thing but drawing to the language of the gems we learn their meaning: the emerald for the purity and the amethyst for the love of God.
We believe therefore that the catanesis and the devotees of every time have accepted this from the martyrdom of the young Agatha, and they have desired to immortalize it as the gold that it sets her.
* Note. The present article inserted in this web site for kind permission of the author, has been originally published on the periodical “Sotto il vulcano” (Under the volcano), n. 80, March / May 2004, pp. 98-99. The original title was “The joys of the devotion” (in Italian language “joy” means also “jewel”), but because in English don't have the same meaning we preferred to translate in other way: however we apologize with the author and the readers. The image aloft, of public dominion, is drawn on line by the Wikipedia encyclopedia.
Other useful sites:
Cataniaperte.com : site of news and cultural and general information related to Catania.
CircoloSantagata.com : official site of the Circle Saint Agatha in Catania.