The Sanctuary of San Calogero – Agrigento
The sanctuary of San Calogero is one of the most important and ancient Catholic places of worship in Agrigento. The building dates back to a period between the XIII and the XIV century, when the city of Agrigento was governed by the Chiaramonte family. The small building, was built outside the walls of the ancient medieval city. The tradition means that in the same area where the church rises lived the venerated Saint in the fifth century.
The interior of the building is divided into three aisles by a double row of six Corinthian columns. The chapel in the center, with the niche of San Calogero, is adorned with fine stucco. The details indicate the symbols of the Saint, the stick and the deer: the stick represents the support that the Saint used to wander; the deer is a symbol in the saint’s life. According to the popular tradition, in fact, the saint was fed with the milk of a deer that, one day, was killed by a hunter named Arcario. The latter, forgiven by the saint, became his devout disciple.
In the chapels on the right and left of the apse there is a shell-shaped dome which, in addition to being a decorative element of particular value, is a symbol of birth and fertility.
The Festival of Saint Calogero
The Festival of San Calogero is celebrated from the first to the second week of July with seven days of joyful devotion and solemn celebration in honor of the black co-Patron Saint of Agrigento.
The history of San Calogero dates back to the 4th – 5th Centuries. The saint escaped the persecutions that were decimating the Christian churches of North Africa, whose followers took refuge in Sicily, in particular in Agrigento where he stayed for a long time. His talents for miracles soon made him the most beloved holy person in the territory of Agrigento. The festival is characterized by a procession of a statue of the saint, accompanied by a loud band of drums (tammurinara), through the historic center of the city.
During the procession the people from Agrigento, re-enact the historic episode in which the population gave bread to the saint who took care of the sick. Today delicious pieces of bread smelling of sesame seeds and fennel made especially for the festival are launched from neighborhood balconies in honour of the saint. The vibrant celebration, with parades, bands, concerts and exhibitions culminates in a solemn procession on Sunday evening followed by spectacular fireworks.