N.O.P.A.Q.V.I.E

N.O.P.A.Q.V.I.E

Catania

Cathedral of Saint Agatha - Via Vittorio Emanuele II 163

Upon returning from his German campaign, Frederick II, King of the Two Sicilies, found that the cities of the island opposed his rule and were pushed by a desire for independence. To re-establish order and regain control, the Holy Roman Emperor ordered for all the people of Catania to be exterminated and the city to be destroyed. The last desire of the Catanese was to attend one final mass in the Cathedral of Saint Agatha. During the service, Frederick II found his mass booklet full of writings saying N.O.P.A.Q.V.I.E, an acronym of the Latin Noli offendere Patriam Agathae quia ultrix iniuriarum est, meaning “Do not offend the city of Agatha, as she is the avenger of every injustice”. Struck by such a strong message, the king immediately retracted his order and the people of Catania, as well as the city, were spared. The acronym engraved on the façade of the Cathedral is not a figment of imagination.
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