• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Savoring Italy

Savoring Italy

An Italian food and travel blog. Find easy and delicious Italian recipes and Italian travel stories at "Savoring Italy".

  • Home
  • About
    • Press
    • Privacy Policy
    • Photo Use Policy
    • Media
    • Podcast
    • Videos
  • Blogging
    • How to Start a Blog
  • Recipes
    • Recipes by Season
      • Christmas Recipes
      • Easter
      • Fall Recipes
      • Summer
    • Meals
      • breakfast
      • side dish
      • appetizers
      • dinner
      • dessert
    • Special Diets
      • Dairy Free
      • Gluten Free
      • Healthy recipes
      • Keto
      • Paleo
      • Sugar free
      • Mediterranean Diet
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
      • Whole30
    • Ingredients
      • Beef
      • Bread
      • Chicken
      • Pork
      • Seafood
    • Popular
      • American Recipes
      • Baking
      • Cookies
      • Sourdough
      • Slow cooker
      • Soup
    • Recipe Stories
  • Italy
    • Italian Baking
    • Italian Recipes
    • Pasta Recipes
    • Travel
  • Freebies
    • Packing List Freebie
    • Lightroom Filter Freebie
    • Content Scheduler Freebie
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
Savoring Italy
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • About
    • Press
    • Privacy Policy
    • Photo Use Policy
    • Media
    • Podcast
    • Videos
  • Blogging
    • How to Start a Blog
  • Recipes
    • Recipes by Season
      • Christmas Recipes
      • Easter
      • Fall Recipes
      • Summer
    • Meals
      • breakfast
      • side dish
      • appetizers
      • dinner
      • dessert
    • Special Diets
      • Dairy Free
      • Gluten Free
      • Healthy recipes
      • Keto
      • Paleo
      • Sugar free
      • Mediterranean Diet
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
      • Whole30
    • Ingredients
      • Beef
      • Bread
      • Chicken
      • Pork
      • Seafood
    • Popular
      • American Recipes
      • Baking
      • Cookies
      • Sourdough
      • Slow cooker
      • Soup
    • Recipe Stories
  • Italy
    • Italian Baking
    • Italian Recipes
    • Pasta Recipes
    • Travel
  • Freebies
    • Packing List Freebie
    • Lightroom Filter Freebie
    • Content Scheduler Freebie
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Home » Uncategorized » Virgin’s Breasts-Le Minne di Sant’Agata

Virgin’s Breasts-Le Minne di Sant’Agata

March 24, 2014 by Savoring Italy

Virgin's Breasts-Le Minne di Sant'Agata

In the month of February there are various holidays to celebrate throughout Italy besides San Valentino. One of the sweets that accompanies a holiday dedicated to Saint Agata is called Virgin’s Breasts.

Why yes, those cherries on top are there for a reason!

*The minne photographed above I got to sample at an incredible bakery in Licata, Sicily!

A little history behind these cookies:

From: Il conto delle minne’, a book by Giuseppina Torregrossa,

“Ogni anno nonna Agata vuole accanto a sé la nipote Agatina per insegnarle i segreti dei dolci in onore della Santa di cui entrambe portano il nome. Mentre impastano le cassatelle a forma di seno, le “minne”, la nonna racconta il martirio della Santuzza, cui il crudele console Quinziano, non sopportando di sentirsi respinto, fece tagliare le mammelle. La drammatica vicenda rivela una delle regole del mondo maschile. Devi sapere che gli uomini, se non ci provi piacere quando ti toccano, si sentono mezzi masculi, ma guai a te se ci provi piacere, perché allora ti collocano tra le buttane”

Virgin's Breasts-Le Minne di Sant'Agata

Agatha, the beautiful daughter of Catania was of course a virgin and also took a vow of chastity to ensure her virginity. A Roman governor of Sicily became enthralled by her beauty. Agatha was not interested at all and he became quite angry. So angry that he ordered her breasts be cut off.

There is a very large celebration still today in Catania. From February 3-5 there are 1000’s of men that pull her 40,000 pound carriage that holds Agatha’s relics all through the city. There are fireworks and candles. It is very much like the festival of Sant’Angelo, the patron saint of my father’s town in Sicily.

For a beautiful story about the Feast of Saint Agatha in Catania, read The Stone Boudoir: Travels Through the Hidden Villages of Sicily by Theresa Maggio. I have been devouring this book and don’t want it to end.

Evviva Sant’Agata!!
need to find the recipe…got lost in Savoring Italy old transfer

« Previous Post
Strawberry Bagels - #TwelveLoaves
Next Post »
Passion for Puglia: An Interview with Silvestro Silvestori of The Awaiting Table

If you enjoyed this…

Coconut-Lime Berry Cake

Butter and Shortening Pie Crust Recipe

Mini Coconut-Mango Swirl Bread

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Helpful comments include feedback on the post or changes you made.

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Lora and Gabby

Welcome to our Italian kitchen! We are Lora and Gabriella, the mother-daughter team behind Savoring Italy. We work hard to create recipes that are inclusive of many sorts of diets, but do not follow one diet. Read More

What’s Trending

mixed berry crumble bar

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • Presets
  • Podcast
  • travel to Italy
  • Web Stories
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

© 2022 · Copyright © · Savoring Italy · Privacy Policy