Where it all began
At Via Scuole Vecchie 22, in the heart of Nicosia’s historic centre, stands the house where on 5 November 1715 Giacomo Amato was born, the youngest child of a family of tanners. After a long, silent transformation he became the Capuchin friar Felix, today the patron saint of the town.
The house is now a place of devotion and remembrance. The sobriety of the rooms tells of the childhood of a saint who made poverty the defining thread of his journey.
The saint of the poor
Giacomo Amato worked as a tanner’s apprentice until the age of twenty-eight when, after repeated requests, he was accepted by the Capuchins of Mistretta. On 19 October 1743 he was clothed with the habit and given the name Brother Felix of Nicosia.
For forty-three years he served the community as a beggar: every day he walked the streets of the historic centre asking for alms for the friars and for the poor. Nicosian oral tradition preserves several accounts of conversions and healings attributed to his intercession, along with the extreme meekness he showed even in the harshest trials.
He died in Nicosia on 31 May 1787.
From Blessed to Saint
- 1888 — Beatified by Pope Leo XIII.
- 23 October 2005 — Canonised in St Peter’s Square by Pope Benedict XVI. In that same ceremony four other beati were canonised — the only canonisation of Benedict XVI’s short pontificate to include a Sicilian Capuchin lay brother.
The body of Saint Felix is now kept in the Sanctuary of Saint Felix at the Capuchin Friary of Nicosia.
Visiting
Access to the house is by appointment, managed by the community of the Friars Minor Capuchins of Nicosia. There are no tickets or fixed opening hours: a visit is considered an act of devotion rather than a tourist activity.
To arrange a visit:
- Contact the Capuchin Friary of Nicosia directly.
- Parish groups or pilgrimages can write to the Municipality’s Tourism Office, which will liaise with the religious community.
See also: Capuchin Friary and Trail of Saint Felix, Trail of Saint Felix — annual pilgrimage.
Nearby
From the birthplace to the Capuchin Friary: a 15-minute walk through the alleys of the historic centre. This is the traditional path of the pilgrimage on 31 May, the liturgical feast of the saint.
A note of respect
The Birthplace of Saint Felix is a living place of worship, not a museum. Visitors are invited to behave appropriately: silence, no photographs during any moments of prayer, respect for the indications of the religious community.