ASMUNDO DI GISIRA

King Art Room Sant'Agata

Saint patroness of the city was born into a noble and wealthy family in the early 3rd century in Catania, at 15 she consecrated herself to God and later became a deaconess and in the official tradition during the consecration called "velatio" she was placed with the red veil symbol of her faith . At that time the emperor Septimius Severius exacerbated the persecutions against Christians even more. In Catania the proconsul Quinziano, a proud and evil man, particularly hated Christianity, also for economic reasons since he annexed its wealth and properties. Tradition has it that he fell in love with the young girl, trying to seduce her and make her renounce her faith and give in to her desires. He tried in every way but to no avail, so he had her imprisoned and subjected her to torture. First flogged, then martyred with the removal of her breasts and finally on hot coals, but while she was in the furnace a strong earthquake shakes Catania, the crowd rises up forcing the proconsul to get Saint Agatha out of the now dying furnace and take her back to the cell where she dies for a few hours After. Sant'Agata mysteriously its veil remains intact and is immediately consecrated among the most important relics and it is precisely to respect the tradition that the headboard and the carpet on which the fercolo rests are bright red, between the living flame and the the Saint's blood was shed but not quelled. The bed takes on the connotations of the "fercolo" respecting its colors and transparencies. Fercolo who suggestively advances with the cords of tradition, between two fabric sails representing the procession. We relive the religious mysticism of the "santuzza" in the revisitation of her cell with an iron monoblock at the entrance, in its votive altar which represents her breasts, in the golden radiance of the environment and in the descent between fades. ​

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