1736 Documented reliquary with relics of St. Agatha, Martyr of Sicily, Patron of Nurses

Oval glass-fronted silvered metal reliquary theca housing the first-class ex ossibus (of the bone) relic of Saint Agatha of Sicily. The relic is  affixed to a silk ground surrounded by paperolle ornamentation and identified in Latin on a  manuscript cedula label as Ex Ossib. // S. Agathae V.M. (Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr). On the back, the theca is secured with a perfectly preserved seal of red Spanish wax bearing an imprint of a coat of arms of Fr. Ignazio Stelluti (†1756), Bishop of Macerata e Tolentino (1735-1756). The theca is accompanied by the original matching authentics documents issued and signed by Fr. Stelluti in 1736. 

Saint Agatha of Sicily (†251) is venerated as a saint and martyr in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, and Oriental Orthodox Churches. She is a holy patron of bellfounders; breast cancer; bakers; Catania, Sicily; protection from natural disasters; fire; earthquakes; volcanic eruptions; jewelers; nurses; rape victims; single laywomen; sterility; torture victims; nurses; wet nurses; as well as Sicily; San Marino; and Zamarramala, Spain. Her feast day is commemorated on February 5th.