Home E An Island a Continent E TRADITIONS IN SARDINIA>RELIGIUOS EVENTS>SANT’EFISIO 

 

THE FESTIVAL OF SANT’EFISIO
hundreds of pilgrims gather to honour the Saint

Sardinia’s most important religious event.
Hundreds of pilgrims in procession wearing the traditional costumes of their home towns.
Decorated carts, dozens of riders, songs, sounds, colours framed by 300,000 spectators each year.

  • WHEN AND WHERE 
    on the first of may, for over four centuries. A long procession through the streets of Cagliari
  • DESCRIPTION 
    traccas, decorated bread and sweets, coloured traditional costumes, jewels, riders, and finally…the saint on a golden coach, surrounded by the believers and the sound of launeddas. 
  • ORIGINS OF THE EVENT 
    1646, the plague, a miracle of the Saint saves the town of Cagliari
  • THE SAINT’S LIFE 
    he is born in Jerusalem in 250 A.D., and he was pagan; he was then converted to Christianism…
  • POINTS OF INTEREST 
    There are three statues of the Saint, whose procession took place even under the WWII bombings.