Monday 21 June 2010

S. Lucia, the patron of Siracusa


The legends linked to S. Lucia are very fascinating. The two saints, S. Agatha and S. Lucia had a similar destiny. Lucia refused the love of a noble lord; as a consequence he, in order to avenge himself on her, denounced her as a christian (in a period when christians were persecuted) and made her extirpate her eyes. That's why nowadays she is considered the saint who protects the sight.

There is a legend which tells us that Agatha and Lucia's lives were very linked; it is said that the two girls could meet themselves thanks to two tunnels of the christian catacombs which connected the cities of Catania and Siracusa. Once become saint S. Lucia became the patron of Siracusa. There ia a beautiful tradition that wants that every year a nice girl coming from Sweden (Siracusa and Stoccolma are twined thanks to the cult of S. Lucia ) is welcomed in Siracusa to pray on the occasion of the feast dedicated to S. Lucia which takes place in December.

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