Oristano is famous of the festival - La Sartiglia.
The Origins
It is believed the Sartiglia was started in 1543 by a priest from Arborea called Giovanni Dessì to stop the bloody fights taking place between the local population and the Aragonese army during carnival, taking advantage of the masks that hid the culprits’ faces and thus avoiding punishment. Dessì gave the farmers one of his own lands, whose profits were to be used for the organisation of an equestrian tournament. People taking part to the tournament had to prove their ability not only riding but also galloping down a street with a sword trying to center a ring hung on a cord.
When?
The festival takes place on the first weekend in February.
What happens?
The Sartiglia is a reenactment of a medieval tournament / an exhibition of horsemanship, it is a collection of traditional and cultural elements handed down over the centuries, deeply significant for the local people. The ancient traditions centre around the unique main character, the King of the Sartiglia (Su Compoidori) and his androgynous mask. The figure is decorated with wheat and flowers, set on a table which acts as an altar, and from that moment is not allowed to touch the ground until the end of the race, a demigod to give good luck and banish evil spirits. A string of races and other celebrations take place throughout the day.
Talented knights, mysterious with their masked faces, throw their horses into a fast pace on the competition grounds and try to insert their sword or stick through the hole of a suspended star – a symbol of a fertile and prosperous life.
The more stars the horsemen take, the more abundant the harvest will be.
This festival attracts a greater number of people from all over the world every year. Sartiglia is a fascinating event whose charm is still created in its mystery. The mystery of Carnival is stuck between animosity and serious self-composure where every gesture is a symbol and where every symbol continues to excite the crowds. The word sartiglia comes from the Latin sorticola which means ring, and sors – luck. This is a festival linked to luck, praying for fertile earth and bountiful harvests,
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