SARDINIA | Feasts

Sardinia is a very ancient land that every month loves to celebrate and remember it’s old traditions with involving feasts and incredible festivals all around the Island. During these colorful happenings, we celebrate the every day life with propitiate spells that should stop the epidemics and help the agricultural.

January

One of the most important feast of this month is the one in honor of Sant Antonio Abate, celebrated in many villages of the Island during the 15th and the 16th of January. The most interesting one s to follow are absolutely the one s in Laconi (Nu) and, especially in Maccomer(Nu), absolutely the most important of the whole area, where you can experience an incredible feast that mixes in a very special way the profane to the holly. It starts, in fact, with a huge bonfire near the little church dedicated to the Saint and it carries out with delicious tasting of the local products such as the pan e saba. The huge bonfire is still prepared using big wooden trunks called is tuvas. On the 20th of January many other villages such as Seui (Nu), Terralba(SS) Villassalto (Ca) and Birori (Nu) celebrate the feast in honor of San Sebastiano an important roman martyr that has always been represented tied up to an orange tree. The celebrations for the Saint start off with a bonfire and carry out with many local products that can be tasted by all the visitors. During the month of January you should also visit Simaxis (Or) where every year Pope Saint Simmaco, the first Sardinian Pope ever, is celebrated.

March

During this month the little island of Sant Antioco celebrates it’s homonym patron saint with a big feast that takes place 15 days after Easter. If in Alghero (Ss) good Friday is the most important religious feast in Castelsardo Lunni santo (holly Monday) is celebrated with a unique ceremony during which the members of the local confraternities march through the streets of the town, underneath the ancient castle, all dressed up in white costumes and with their faces covered with hoods. During the second week of March Uri celebrates the artichoke with a special feast that gives you the chance to taste all the local dishes based on this vegetable. The same kind of feast also takes place in Giba (Ca) while Portoscuso (ca) celebrates the sea urchin. On the 16th of march the streets of San Vero Milis give hospitality to a curious equestrian competition called cursa de sa loriga. On the 17th Boroneddu celebrates the asparagus feast.

April

This is a very important month for Tonara the most important torrone making center of the entire Island, it is during April, in fact, that the town celebrates the Torrone feast when you can taste the sweet traditional honey flavored torrone and experience an amazing parade of the mammuthones and the iscochadores from Mamoiada. On the first Sunday of the month, Muravera (Ca) celebrates the citrus fruit feast with a lovely folcloristical parade where you can admire the suggestive etnotraccas, big wooden wagons that represent moments of agricultural real life such as washing the clothes in the rive, the dowry, working on the loom or working the furs. These traditional wagon are followed by the march of traditional Sardinian masks like the merdules, the mammuthones, the isoccadores and many others. They march along the main street of the town, in front of stalls that sell local products. At the end of the month Sini (or) celebrates the feast of su pani saba a traditional dessert made with almonds and raisins. During the feast visitors can follow many folk displays and taste the delicious dessert. In Cagliari April is a month of religious happenings especially during the holly week. On good Friday the members of the Solitudine Confraternity prepare the processione del Cristo morto (prcession for the dead Christ) while on the holly Monday the district of Villanova celebrates s’iscravamentu that remembers the removal of Christ from the cross. You should also experience s’incontru (The Vergin that meets her son) on Easter day that is celebrated in the districts of Marina, Stampace and Villanova.

May

On the 1st of May Cagliari celebrates Sant’Efisio the Saint protector of the Island. The saint is celebrated with a huge and beautiful parade that gives you the opportunity to appreciate the most beautiful local costumes of Sardinia. During this very important feast the statue of the saint, set on attractive traccas pulled by bulls, starts his march from the little Church in the district of Stampace and end in Pula. The traccas are wooden wagons decorated with beautiful spring flowers. People decorate them every year to renew an old vow made to the saint that saved Cagliari from an epidemic in 1567. The statue from Cagliari heads of to Sarroch and spends the night there. The next day it arrives in Pula and after that is taken to Nora, not far away, were the martyrdom of the Saint took place. On the 4th of May the Saint returns to Cagliari again. The month of May is also important for the city of Sassari that organizes the famous Cavalcata Sarda an incredible parade of traditional Sardinian costumes where over 3000 people participate walking or horseback riding. This important feast wants to celebrate the arrival of the springtime with it’s smells and flowers. The third week of the month, in Villanofranca (Ca), is dedicated to the almonds and you can taste the typical desserts made with this ingredient like the gueffus, papasinas and the amaretti.

June

The 13th of june Portoscuso celebrates the tuna with a lovely feast. In many villages of the Island this month is called lampads, because of the bonfires that are prepared in honor of San Giovanni Battista. Through all the festivities of this month we have to remember the one dedicated to Sant’Antonio da Padova, the processions on the Corpus Domini day and the important feast in honor of Nostra Signora dei Martiri. Celebrated in Barbagia. Every year, during this month, Villassalto (Ca) celebrates Santa Barbara the miner’s patron while Berchidda (Nu) and Orroli (Nu) celebrate Santa Caterina d’Alessandria. In Gonnosfanadiga, small village by the Linas mountain, remembers la Madonna della Salute. The 29th of June the whole Island celebrates SS Pietro e Paolo. Carloforte prepares, for this day a beautiful processions in the sea and nocturnal torchlight parade.

July

This month is also called tribula or triulas because of the beginning of the threshing season. If you are a fan of the equestrians horse back riding competitions we suggest you visit the village of Sedilo (or) on the 6th and on the 7th so that you can follow the famous s’ardia during the feast in honor of San Costantino. The brave knights ride their horses very quickly along a steep road until they arrive to the little church dedicated to the Saint. During the second week of this month Assemini, just 10 Km far from Cagliari, celebrates a unique bridal rite during which the betrothed are tied up together to symbolize the strength of the wedding bond. The 17th of July is the day the sweet peach feast starts in San Sperate, that in these days is also busy celebrating the patron Saint of the village with impressive folk shows. The beautiful village of San Sperate is also known as the village-museum because of the many beautiful murales paintings and because of the important sculptures from Pinuccio Sciola . Many other villages, instead, celebrate Santa Margherita on the 20th others celebrate Santa Maddalena on the 22nd . The last week of July is important for the villages of Gavoi (Nu) and San Pantaleo (Ss) that celebrate la Madonna di Ittiri and San Pantaleo.

August

This is the month during which Mogoro gives hospitality to the important Fiera del tappetto e dell’artigianato (an important fair dedicated to the Sardinian handicrafts) where you can discover the beauty of the Sardinian artistic craftworks. Talana dedicates the first Sunday of the month to the ham. The local Pro loco establishes on this day the delicious Sagra del Prosciutto (Ham feast) during which you can taste the great local ham drinking the famous Cannonau wine. On the 13th Iglesias (Ca) prepares the amazing medieval procession. On the 14th Sassari prepares itself for the most important moment of the year, la discesa dei Candelieri ( The march of the candlesticks) during which huge wooden candlesticks are transported, for the whole route through the civic center of city, by the members of the Gremi dressed in the traditional costumes. The Gremi represent 9 of the old trade and arts corporations and their beautiful costumes can be dated back to the Spanish period. The 15th of the month is an important day in Portoscuso (Ca). On this day a beautiful march with the ancient statue of the Madonna Dormiente takes place. August is also the month of the festa del vino (the wine feast) in Calasetta (Ca). The 29th is an important date for Nuoro that celebrates la Sagra del Redentore (the Redentore Feast) an ancient festivity dated back to 1901 that celebrates the day the Christ Statue was settled on the Ortobene mountain. You shouldn't miss the appetizing sagra della pecora ( sheep feast), in Pimmentel (Ca) were you can taste the typical malloreddus, the tasty porchetto arrosto and the boiled sheep with potatoes. At the end of the month Oschiri (Ss) celebrates the panada feast. Panada is a typical Sardinian salty cake filled in with meat or with fish.

September

This month used to be considered as the beginning of the new year and of the works in the fields. It’s the month when Guspini (Ca) celebrates the Honey. During the local feast you can taste the delicious traditional products such as the wines, the different kinds of honey and the desserts. The first weekend of the month is important for Cabras (Or) that establishes the feast dedicated to San Salvatore famous because of the well-known corsa degli scalzi (the run of the barefooted). Hundreds of people run barefooted carrying the statue of the Saint from Cabras to the village of San Salvatore. The same thing happens on the next Sunday but this time the barefooted run back to Cabras. At the end of the month Olzai (Nu) prepares the Sagra del fico d-India (the Indian fig feast) were you can also taste many local gastronomic products.

October

Many are the appointments to remember. First of all you can’t miss the famous sagra delle Castagne or the chest nut feast that takes place in Santulussurgiu (Ca) and especially in Aritzo (Nu) were you can taste good roasted chest nuts, the local torrone and the famous caschettas typical bridal desserts. Gesico celebrates the snail with the traditional Sagra delle Lumache (snail feast) during the second week of the month. On these days the visitors can taste lots of tasty dishes cooked using special and ancient recipes. At the end of the month you should visit Arborea (Ss) were the Polenta Feast takes place.

November

From the 1st to the 4th of November Desulo celebrates the famous Festa della Montagna or the Mountain Feast. During these day you can taste many local dishes and discover lots of handicraft products. You can also follow many inherited shows such as the murra and the old istrumpa race. On the 6th of the month the villages of Turri and San Gavino (Ca) celebrate the saffron with dances and displays while Arborea. (SS) celebrates the mushroom. Gonnosfanadiga (Or) during the second week of the month, celebrates the olives and it’s oils with a beautiful feast that gives you the chance to taste many different kinds of oils and also the traditional civraxiu bread covered with s’ollu nou (freshly squeezed oil). Very interesting, on the 30th, in Sant’Andrea Frius (Ca) is the festa dell’argento or the feast dedicated to the silver, during which the village celebrates it’s Saint Patron with a lovely colorful tracas parade. Arzana (Nu) prepares itself for the porcino mushroom feast with a beautiful parade with the mammuthones. You can also taste many mushroom dishes and observe lots of artistic craftworks. During this month Sanluri (Ca) celebrates the beans with a big feast in honor of San Martino the Saint Patron of the village. A huge parade takes places and when it ends the guests can taste the fresh beans with the typical civraxiu bread. On the 13th Ozieri (Nu) celebrates Sant Antioco di Bisarcio with a beautiful mass in the ancient basilica built in the year 1150 were the people sing lovely song in the Sardinian language. With a charming sea parade Carloforte (Ca) on the 15th of November celebrates la Vergine Santissima dello Schiavo.

Dicember

During the first Sunday of the month you shouldn't miss the tasty Sagra della salsiccia or sausage feast. The 4th of November Gonnosfanadiga celebrates the olives oil feast while Alghero (SS) celebrates Santa Barbara the seamen’s protector. On the 6th in Baunei (Nu) and in Muravera (Ca) it’s time to celebrate San Nicola. On the 13th many villages celebrate , with lovely parades, Santa Lucia. In Cagliari, from the 15th to the 23rd you can visit the Christmas fair while the people from Dolianova (Ca) celebrate the parteolla wine. In the same days Guspini (Ca) celebrates sa mesa de is turronis dedicated to the delicious torrone. In these days you should also visit the little village of Olmedo (SS) were the local craftsmen prepare a beautiful bread crib inside the ancient church of Nostra Signora di Talia.