The Festival of Sant'Efisio


The church of Sant'Efisio, a Christian martyr, rises up in the Stampace district of Cagliari.
It was built around 1400 A.D. on the site where Efisio suffered martyrdom before being taken to Nora where he was decapitated.

Around 1640 A.D. a terrible plague swept across the whole island, including the city of Cagliari, claiming more than 10.000 victims. In these desperate circumstances, the people of Cagliari made the solemn vow that they would carry the sacred image of Sant'Efisio in procession as far as Nora, if he eradicated the plague.
History teaches us that the plague was, in fact, wiped out and every year on May 1st the people of Cagliari maintain their promise and carry the statue of Sant'Efisio to Nora, in what has become a colourful, festive procession.

This religious occasion is one of the most important popular events in Sardinia and it attracts thousands of tourists year after year.

The festival begins with the fascinating procession of ox-drawn carts from the surrounding towns, all richly decorated and adorned with ribbons and flowers. There follows a colourful procession of groups of people on foot, in traditional costume, representative of almost all the towns in Sardinia. The third part of the procession is made up of expert horsemen, who ride passed on beautiful examples of the island's equestrian tradition. The ornate coach which bears the statue of Sant'Efisio brings up the rear of the procession, followed by hundreds of faithful on foot who accompany it on its journey to Nora (about 30 Km from Cagliari).