La Sartiglia


The Sartiglia is held in Oristano on the last Sunday and Tuesday of the carnival period.

It is an extraordinary festival, which goes beyond a simple carnival event or reproduction of Medieval jousting and acrobatic displays by expert riders. The Sartiglia is a spectacular blend of traditions and culture which have been passed down from one generation to the next over hundreds of years.

The main protagonist and true king of the Sartiglia is the Compoidori and his white mask, which portrays an androgynous face, both male and female. After a series of rituals, carried out by various riders and figures, all in splendid traditional costume, the main jousting competition is opened by the Compoidori. Contenders gallop down a corridor, lined with spectators, and have to centre a star suspended across the pathway with their jousting poles.

The number of stars plucked in this way is said to determine the success of the year's agricultural harvest. After the jousting, spectators can admire the incredible acrobatics of riders as they balance between horses, galloping at a furious pace down the narrow streets.