The church, founded in imperial times, was the city's oldest cathedral. In 264 A.D., 13 years after Agatha's death, a modest votive shrine was consecrated by Bishop St. Everio at the place where her breast-cutting martyrdom occurred.
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After Constantine's edict of 313, which sanctioned freedom of belief for Christians as well, Bishop St. Severinus built a house of worship to replace the shrine. Consecrated in 380, the church remained the city's cathedral until 1094. Following its founding in imperial times, the transfer of the relics of St. Agatha already kept in the church of St. Leo took place.
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From the 11th century, in the new temple commissioned by the Norman Count Roger, the bishop's chair was moved to the site of the present cathedral. The original church therefore came to be called ?la Vetere? that is, the ancient one. During the many centuries of its history it was destroyed and rebuilt several times.
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The present building dates from 1772. It was last rebuilt following the 1693 earthquake and is larger in size than the previous building. The single-nave interior as well as the facade, in accordance with the Franciscan rule to whose order the church belongs, has a sober and severe style. In the basement of the church is a crypt where the Franciscan friars, to whom the church was entrusted after 1613, proceeded with the burial of deceased brethren. At an even lower elevation is the ossuary. Recent archaeological excavations have unearthed the remains of earlier edifications.
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SANT'AGATA LA VETERE
Piazza Sant'Agata la Vetere, 5, 95124 Catania CT
