There are 13 candlesticks, each of which represents a guild of arts and crafts. It seems that their tradition dates back to the 15th century and, like carnival floats, they changed every year. Today they are heavy wooden buildings carved in Sicilian Baroque style with a votive candle inside. The devotees belonging to the individual guilds carry their cereus on their shoulders weighing between 500 and 900 kilos, with a swaying gait called "annacata".
The candelabras wander around the city accompanied by the music of a band with processions that begin 10 days before the festival when they escort Agatha on the internal and external "tours". The procession is opened by the cereo of Monsignor Ventimiglia, the smallest donated in 1766 by the then bishop of Catania and is followed by the cereo of the renowned people.
The fruit and vegetable wax (giardinera) is in Gothic style and is called "the queen" because it is surmounted by a crown. The fishmongers' candelabra (pisciari) is characterized at the top by a floral crown that hangs free, amplifying the movement of the annacata and is called "a Bersagliera". The fruit sellers' wax is characterized by the base with four swans and due to its simple beauty it is called "a signurina". This is followed by the butchers' candlelight celebration (chianchieri). On the base with four lions is the statue of San Sebastiano, patron saint of the corporation. Immediately after the pasta producers' wax candle (pastari), the only one to have the large central wax candle inside while the others are made of plastic. The waxwork of the cheese sellers (pizzicagnoli) is made in Art Nouveau style with four caryatids at the base. The candlestick of the shopkeepers (putiari) is made in Empire style with four eagles and four lions at the base and is the second heaviest after the bakers (pannitteri) which follows it. The penultimate candle of the Circolo di Sant'Agata (the lightest of the large candles) in neoclassical style with the depiction of Sant'Euplio. Closing the line is the cereo of Villaggio Sant'Agata, the youngest inaugurated in 2010.
Related topic:
- Catania and the veneration of Sant'Agata
- Sant'Agata, the origins of the festival.
- The relics of the Saint
- The Vara
- The candlesticks
- The habit
- The sack
- The offering of wax
- Agata's treasure
- The sweets
