Religious Festival and Procession of Saint Efisio - Cagliari, Sardinia

The religious festival and procession of Sant'Efisio takes place from May 1 to 4. It is certainly Sardinia's most important event in terms of identity, religion, and folklore. Every year since 1652, a procession of floats, horsemen, devotees, and pilgrims has escorted the statue of Saint Efisio the Martyr from the small church in the historic district of Stampace—where the saint is enshrined—to Nora, the site of his martyrdom. This event, which draws an extraordinary number of participants and strikes a balance between faith, folklore, and tradition, is experienced with great emotional intensity. The festivities last a month, but the highlight of the celebration is the May 1 parade, where you can see all of the island’s traditional costumes gathered together at once. A Brief History Saint Efisio was an officer in the Roman army who converted to Christianity in 300 and was condemned to martyrdom by Emperor Diocletian. He died in Nora in 303. The saint, co-patron of Cagliari, has replaced the city’s original patron, Saint Saturno, in the hearts of the people. The grand celebrations held in May in honor of the saint date back to the 17th century, when Sardinia was struck by a plague epidemic. In July 1652, the Municipality of Cagliari appealed to the saint to protect the city from the plague, making a vow in which it pledged to hold an annual procession in his honor. In May 1657, the first solemn procession to fulfill the vow took place: the statue of the saint was carried to the small church in Nora, accompanied by city officials and representatives from all the towns that had been spared from the plague. His second remarkable feat took place in February 1793, when the French fleet was laying siege to Cagliari with heavy bombardment. The people of Cagliari called upon their patron saint, and the popular militias, led by Girolamo Pitzolo, repelled the French who had landed on the beach at Quartu S. Elena. The Saint was thus given the title of "Supreme Commander of the Warriors." Party The grand parade is led by the Traccas—festively decorated ox-drawn carts. Next comes the colorful parade of folk groups in traditional costumes from all over the island. Following the folk groups, the Campidano horsemen and the Miliziani horsemen parade by, armed with arquebuses and sabers. Behind them was the Alter Nos—that is, the civil authority—dressed in a tailcoat and top hat, with a tricolor sash around his waist, along with the chaplain and the members of the Confraternity of Saint Efisio. Bringing up the rear was the golden carriage bearing the statue of the saint, pulled by an imposing team of oxen adorned with colorful cloaks and flowers and led by Su Carradori. The arrival of the carriage carrying the statue is heralded by the sound of the launeddas. On Via Roma, in front of the stage where the officials are seated, the saint’s carriage proceeds along a carpet of petals (sa ramadura), greeted by the sirens of the ships docked at the harbor. Photo 2 At the end of the procession in Cagliari, the statue will continue on its way to Nora, followed by the faithful on foot. The religious celebrations then continue over the following days. Source: www.festadisantefisio.it