Feast of Saint Agatha and Saint Stephen (Patron Saints of Capua)

A patronal feast with ancient roots

The Feast of Saint Agatha and Saint Stephen is the patronal celebration of the town of Capua, in the province of Caserta, in the heart of Campania. Every year in early February, the city gathers around its patron saints with a devotion passed down for over fifteen centuries. The Capuan Cathedral, dedicated to Saints Stephen and Agatha alongside the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, serves as the spiritual and symbolic center of these festive days.

The cult and the relics

The veneration of Saint Agatha in Capua is among the oldest in Italy. According to tradition, the cult originated in the 6th century, when Saint Germanus, Bishop of Capua, brought with him relics of Saints Agatha and Stephen received as a gift from the Byzantine Emperor Justin I. The relics, initially kept in the Basilica Apostolorum of ancient Capua (modern-day Santa Maria Capua Vetere), were later moved to the new city during the Lombard era. Thus, devotion to the young martyr from Catania, who lived in the 3rd century, took deep root along the banks of the Volturno river.

The reliquary bust and the red mantle

During the solemnity, the exquisite silver reliquary bust is displayed to the faithful. Created in 1704 by the Neapolitan silversmith Giovan Battista Buonacquisto, it depicts the saint in her youthful beauty. According to legend, the Cathedral also preserves a fragment of Saint Agatha's mantle: a pious woman is said to have used it to cover the martyr as she lay on burning coals, and the fabric, originally white, turned red upon contact with the fire.

The solemn celebration

The highlight of the festival is the Solemn Mass on February 5th, the day of the saint's dies natalis, celebrated at 6:00 PM in the Cathedral of Capua and presided over by the Archbishop of Capua and Caserta. The liturgy brings the entire community together in an atmosphere of prayer and popular celebration, renewing an identity bond that unites faith, history, and collective memory.

An award for the city

Alongside the religious tradition, there is a civic gesture: every year during the festival, the municipal administration of Capua presents the Saint Agatha Award to Capuan citizens who have distinguished themselves in the fields of culture and scientific research, demonstrating how the patron saint continues to inspire the city's life well beyond the devotional dimension.