Patronal feast of Santa Agrippina in Mineo

Located on two hills of the Iblei mountains, in Sicily, is the town of Mineo, in the province of Catania, it is the homeland of the nineteenth-century writer Verista Luigi Capuana. Visiting Mineo is like making a charming visit return to the past given the amount of buildings and traditions present here; it is no coincidence that the patronal feast of Santa Agrippina in Mineo is one of the most important religious and symbolic events on the island.

Santa Agrippina is a saint of Roman origin , she was martyred during the reign of the emperor Valerian.
In Mineo, in the Church of Santa Agrippina it contains the statue of the patron saint, it was made in 1518 by the master silversmith Vincenzo Archifer.

When the patronal feast of Santa Agrippina takes place in Mineo

During the year, every year, the dates of the celebrations in honor of the Saint are different; the solemn feast takes place in the last two Sundays of August , when you have the fercolo procession in a truly spectacular atmosphere.
The procession of ferrule in silver with the aforementioned statue above it takes place along the main streets of the center while the show of fireworks and the launch of flyers takes place in the sky.

But the spectacular nature of this celebration is also seen on the Saturday preceding the second Sunday of the aforementioned celebrations, when the pilgrimage of the Nudes , or a moment of re-enactment of what occurred during the earthquake of 1693, "when all the men came out barefoot and in their underwear, imploring the help of the Saint to stop the earthquake". Even today, precisely in a similar way, we therefore witness the scene of hundreds of barefoot men dressed in white and with red belts who, shouting "Long live our Patrona Sant'Arpina", make the pilgrimage in honor of the saint to whom they entrust the good of families and of the whole community.

Another highlight of these festive days is that of the grain tribute to the Saint during the day of the Octave; early in the morning there is a procession of mules, horses and carts which bring the abundant wheat contained in the saddlebags as a gift to the patron saint.
But at least two other annual dates are dedicated to the Patronal Feast of Santa Agrippina in Mineo, i.e. May 17 (preceded from 1 to 17 by the so-called 'Seighteen' period), in which the transfer of her body from Rome takes place, and then the June 23, the day of Dies Natalis, when the anniversary of the martyrdom of the Saint is celebrated.

But there is yet another date in his honor, namely the 11st January , when the memory of the earthquake of 1693 is celebrated which on that same day struck the Val di Noto and eastern Sicily, causing enormous devastation also in these parts.
During the holidays, in addition to the religious celebrations, the folkloristic aspect is associated with demonstrations and shows and music, which is why they are an all-round day of celebration for the whole community of Mineo and beyond.

The cult of Saint Agrippina

That the patronal feast of Santa Agrippina in Mineo is just one example of how wide the devotion to this saint is is evidenced by the fact that her cult is also recorded in other Sicilian cities such as Palermo, Enna, Militello in Val di Catania and others. but even at an international level, as in Greece and Russia (where here it intersects with the Orthodox religion), and even at an intercontinental level, in the USA, in Boston, where it was brought here by the immigrants originally from Mineo.

Even on a literary level, Santa Agrippina is mentioned several times, for example in the writings of three Sicilian authors, namely Giovanni Verga, Luigi Capuana and Luigi Pirandello.
And of course, the image of the Saint can also be found in the Mineo coat of arms , where she is depicted as she rises above the towers of a castle, as a protector queen and emblem of the city.

The patronal feast of Santa Agrippina in Mineo and beyond

The aforementioned religious festival is certainly an important and highly characteristic aspect of the town of Mineo, in fact it can become an opportunity to get to know it better and discover other points located in and around the town.
For example, still remaining in Mineo, there are other fascinating buildings to visit such as the Palazzo Comunale , Mongialino Castle , Church of Santa Maria Maggiore , the Luigi Capuana House Museum.

From an architectural and naturalistic point of view at the same time, equally unmissable is the archaeological area of ​​Palikè which hosts not only archaeological beauties but also beauties related to flora and fauna.
Indeed, the town of Mineo itself is located in a very favorable area of ​​Sicily from a tourist and cultural point of view, divided between the nature of the Catania Plain and the art given by towns with a history similar to yours, such as Caltagirone .

How to reach Mineo

Mineo is in the province of Catania and can be easily reached from here both by car and by bus, which is also the cheapest and also quite fast solution, just over an hour by road, a bus is already available at Catania airport direct departing for Mineo with four connections a day.