AGATA ON THE ROAD
The feast of Saint Agatha in Catania is the third most important religious festival in the world, after Holy Week in Seville and the Feast of Corpus Christi in Cuzco, Peru. It takes place from February 3rd to 5th each year and on August 17th. The first date marks the martyrdom of the Etna saint (whose breasts were removed), while the August date commemorates the return of her remains to Catania after they were stolen and taken to Constantinople. A feast dedicated to a woman who—as in Palermo for Saint Rosalia and in Syracuse for Saint Lucia—transforms the chauvinistic dimension typical of Sicilian society into something different, in which Agatha becomes the "mother" of all devotees.
Born during the Covid emergency as an act of love towards a population forced into silent devotion, a vision that embraces the language of art, Agata on the Road has evolved over the years into a project that fosters an unfiltered contemporary artistic approach to the Agatha festivities through an international contest. Each year, a jury of experts selects the works most relevant to the assigned theme, identifying the artist to whom the "A Year with Agata" award will be awarded. This shared journey culminates in the Foundation producing the project, which is then presented at the next edition of Agata on the Road.
