Sant'Agata is present in the artistic tradition of Catania and in popular consideration in the guise of a holy girl ("Santuzza ", as the people of Catania affectionately call it), mild and delicate, but at the same time is seen as a powerful, proud and fearsome saint. The Bust, the most venerated silver and enamel reliquary, offers a sweet image of the saint, with a placid smile.
But the coat of arms of the city, carved in the lava stone of Etna, depicts Agatha with a proud look and with a sword drawn and ready to defend those who rely on her; it is an image that inspires fear.
In fact, Agatha is the delicate and modest girl who suffered torture for the love of Christ, who freed her land from the corruption of customs, restoring the sense of modesty that the pagan religion had weakened. But he was also able to swear protection and save Catania from lava, pirates, enemies and epidemics. The images of Saint Agatha, hundreds spread throughout the world, represent the saint with the symbols and elements of martyrdom: lily of purity, palm of martyrdom, tongs, cut breast. The oldest iconographic representation of Saint Agatha is a mosaic in the church of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna. It dates back to the middle of the sixth century and represents her standing, dressed in the official dress of the deaconesses, a long green tunic.