The Festival of Sant'Efisio

In the year 1652 a terrible plague washed over Sardinia; over half of Cagliari's population had been felled by the disease. Those who remained desperately called upon the martyred saint Efisio di Elia to deliver them from this plague.

Efisio, it is said, had come to Sardinia as the commander of a Roman army sent to suppress the Christian community. After having a vision that changed his life, Efisio gave up his post and converted to Christianity, an act for which he was imprisoned in Calgiari and eventually beheaded on the beach in Nora, the ancient Roman town near modern Pula.

The year was 303.

After calling upon Efisio, the plague subsided. The people promised to pay homage to the saint once a year, pulling a statue of Sant'Efisio in procession from Cagliari to Nora and back, a trip that takes four days.

The people haven't forgotten their promise. The festival is celebrated each year starting on May 1, a holiday in Italy and the traditional "thanksgiving" day in Sardinia. 

It is one of the most colorful festivals in Sardinia, a place that is known for colorful festivals and parades. In 2013, over 3000 people paraded in traditional costumes you see in the pictures, some of them, like the contingent from the town of Cabras, were barefoot. In addition, there were horses, traditional ox-driven carts, players of Sardinian pipes called launeddas, and of course the simulacrum (likeness, in this case a statue) of Sant'Efisio in his golden cart drawn by specially bred oxen down a path spread with rose pedals in the main port street of Cagliari.

It's quite an amazing festival to witness, as you will see attached photos.

Each city and town has its own version of traditional costume, so you can recognize where a person comes from upon seeing how they're dressed. Lace or embroidery may be included, if the people in that town were known for such arts.

Still today, flax is grown for the linen used in some costumes.

The jewelry is important as well. Rich women had, of course, gold jewelry, less rich and you wore silver, then, if fortune had eluded you, you resorted to lesser metals.

While the folks parade down the street towards the Port of Cagliari, they often sing songs and hymns.











[img]http://cartolinesardegna.esy.es/Foto/Sant'efisio%203.jpg[/img]


Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean, characterized by a jagged and rocky coastline, interspersed with stunning beaches of very fine sand. The past fifty years have seen Sardinia become a hotspot for tourism, with La Costa Smeralda in the northern area becoming a favorite retreat of Italian celebrities. The Sardinian coast may be dedicated to tourism, but the interior belongs to native Sardinians who still hold onto their customs, food and unique language (a form of classical Latin that is considered an official language). Sardinia is one of the most ancient lands in Europe, visited by man in the Palaeolithic period but inhabited permanently much later in the Neolithic age, around 6000 B.C.

The traditional cuisine of Sardinia was in some ways a contradiction: an island civilization that did not utilize seafood in its diet. Since Sardinia’s coast has always been victim to invasion, the Sardinian people found refuge in the mountains. Therefore, the traditional foods of Sardinia were always more influenced by the land than the sea. Today, much has changed and now seafood has been embraced by Sardinians, no longer having to fear invaders or pirates. Spicy fish soups called Burrida and Cassola, along with lobsters, crabs, anchovies, squid, clams and fresh sardines with Sardinians.

The Sardinian interior produces some of the best lamb in all of Italy and it is known for being very lean. Sardinians enjoy their meats roasted and suckling pig or kidis a favorite roasted outdoors over aromatic woods.

Sardinia is a major exporter of cheese and the main exports are cavallo cheese (a type of caciocavallo) and salso cheese (a salted sheep’s cheese like pecorino cheese).

The classic pasta of the island is called malloreddus. This Sardinian pasta is very similar to gnocchetti, or cavatelli  . It is often flavored with saffron, and the local sheep’s milk cheese.