Fercolo

The “Fercolo” is a silver chariot which carries the bust and the coffin with the relics of Saint Agatha during the procession. It has no engine nor wheels, but it is dragged by devotees through long ropes. In 1514 Vincenzo Archifel designed this incredible masterpiece, then completed by other silversmiths from Catania and Messina. It looks like a small silver temple with Corinthian columns. On the plinth you can admire few bas-reliefs with episodes of the martyrdom of Saint Agatha and the transfer of her relics, while on the roof of the chariot there are twelve little statues of the apostles. The Fercolo was not damaged by the 1693 earthquake, but it suffered some serious thefts in 1890/1891 and, above all, it was almost completely destroyed during the bombings of 1943.