The festival dedicated to a Saint

Oct. 8, 2010 - PRLog -- In the middle of the 17th century there was a terrible plague that devastated most of Sardinia, to the fact that half of the population of Cagliari died.  With death and illness surrounding people people were desperate and turned to Efisio dim Elia who was a martyred saint.

Efiso was the son of an aristocratic family from Elia, he was a captain in the imperial Roman Army in which he was sent to Italy to fight the Christians.  One night though he envisioned the image of a cross which led to him converting to Christianity, which caused many problems for him as he had become something that he was fighting against.  When he was asked to renounce his faith he refused and was sentenced to death.  He was imprisoned in Cagliari and was moved to the coast which only a few knew of.  This was done in order to stop protests against his beheading happening.  He was beheaded by a Roman soldier on the beach of Nora on the 3rd of January 303 AD.  Today the place where he was imprisoned has been changed into a church dedicated to him.

The people of Sardinia flocked from their Sardinia villas to the crypt in Stampace which is the place where Efisio was imprisoned.  The people even the town councillors prayed expressing passionate feelings and dedications hoping that the plague would end.  People would take a statue of Sant' Elfisio in a ceremonial manner and in procession.  When the plague ended in May 1657, on the first of May for every year people would wear traditional costumes and take the statue of Efisio in procession as a sign of thanking him for ridding them of the plague and as a way of showing that they are keeping their promise.  This is how the Festival of Sant Efisio began.

The festival is hosted every year on the 1st May; this is one of the biggest and most colourful processions in the world which lasts for four days.  People from all over the island gather together in Cagliari in order to take part in the festivities.  The even attracts tourists who are treated as privileged spectators

The procession starts from the church in Stampace which is where the statute is held, families wearing traditional costumes lead it through the streets with some of the members playing the sounds from Launeddas which is an ancient Sardinian wind instrument.  They go through streets on ox drawn carts called Is Traccas, these are filled with ancient utensils from the traditional daily life in the rural communities.  The carts are adorned with beautiful flowers and wreaths.  They make their way to the old part of Cagliari.

At the end of the event when the statute is returned to the church in Stampace, people will greet each other with “Atrus annus” which means other years, this is a way of continuing the dedication as it is another way of saying we're ready for next year.

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