Traditions

Traditions in Sardinia have ancient origins, sometimes even difficult to identify.

Sant'Efisio

Since 1657, every May 1st Sardinians celebrate Sant'Efisio, born in the third century in Antioch in Asia Minor. He was sent by emperor Diocletian to kill the Christians, but on the way to Sardinia he converted himself to be Christian and was arrested, tortured and executed in Nora (south-west of Sardinia, close to Pula) on 15 January 303.

Sardinia is very devoted to the Saint, especially after having invoked him in order to heal the people from the terrible Black Death of the XV century. The city of Cagliari also called for his help during the French naval attack in 1793: indeed, a strong mistral wind kept the warships far enough from the city.

The festival of Sant'Efisio among the longest walking processions in Europe: it starts from the church of Sant'Efisio in Stampace (one of the 4 historical districts of Cagliari), to get to the ruins of Roman settlement of Nora, the place of his martyrdom.

Sa Sartiglia

Oristano has a quite unique way to celebrate Carnival: Sa Sartiglia, an equestrian carousel of medieval origins.

The word Sartiglia derives from the Castilian Sortija, that comes from the Latin sorticola (ring), having the diminutive of sors (luck). It’s a kind of competition among different groups (gremi, representing different historical part of the city) to catch as much ring possible. The ring has been replaced by a star, even more difficult to catch with a sword from a running horse. The overall celebration is also a way to invoke good luck for upcoming year. An event in which it is easy to track reminiscent of ancient agrarian mystic rituals through which people asking to the Gods for fertility of the land and abundance of the harvest. Indeed, the main figure of the overall cerimony is the so called Su Componidori: once he wears his white mask he becomes a kind of semi-God, sitting all day long on hoseback and never  stepping with his own feets till the end of the day, when during the final cerimony the mask is removed and he comes back to his uman nature.

Su Redentore

Even if is part of the tradition, the Festival of the Redentore (Redeemer) of Nuoro, however, has quite recent origins: the installation of the statue of Christ the Redeemer on Mount Ortobene dates back to the beginning of 1900 and, as of then, every year the Redeemer is celebrated, being is the most important religious and folkloric festival of central Sardinia.