Novecento anni: a novel on Saint Agatha for the 900th anniversary of the return of her relics
Novecento anni ("Nine Hundred Years") is Franky Bonanno's new novel on Saint Agatha of Catania: from her martyrdom in 251 to the "praiseworthy theft" of Byzantium, for the 900th anniversary of the return of her relics.
What it is about
On 17 August 2026, during the pontifical Mass for the 900th anniversary of the return of Saint Agatha's relics, an ordinary man is overwhelmed by tears he cannot explain. He closes his eyes for a moment, and that moment opens onto one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five years of history.
The eras of the novel
- 251 AD A young woman of patrician blood refuses to bow to a Roman proconsul who wants her lands more than her faith. It is the seed of a devotion no century will manage to put out.
- 1040 AD A Byzantine general takes the saint's relics to Constantinople. Catania is left without its patron for eighty-six very long years.
- 1126 AD A French soldier begins to dream of the face of a saint he has never known. He and a companion from Calabria attempt a theft in the heart of Byzantium that history will call a "praiseworthy theft".
- 2026 The present: the city celebrating nine hundred years since its saint came home.
Real history, not legend
Every event, every dialogue, every miracle comes from the *Acts of the Martyrdom*, the *Historia Translationis* by Bishop Maurizio, and Catania's popular tradition. At the end of the book, the author's note on the sources helps tell history from storytelling.
Who it is for
- Readers devoted to Saint Agatha and anyone who loves Catania's feast.
- Readers of Italian historical fiction who want rigour and passion.
- Anyone curious about the bond between a city and its saint.
Where to find it
Novecento anni is available on Amazon. Here is the book's full page: Novecento anni. The novel is written in Italian.