Sa Sartiglia in Oristano: Sardinia's Carnival Joust

Oristano, Sardinia

Oristano, an ancient medieval town in the western part of Sardinia, is home to many wonderful buildings and is one of the most important places in the island's vast and varied cultural heritage. Oristano represents the noble heart of the island with its monuments steeped in history, since in the past the city played a leading role in the history of Sardinia: from the 11th century the city centre was embellished with palaces, fortresses, towers and religious buildings.

Sa Sartiglia: timeless emotion

Sa Sartiglia takes place every year on the last Sunday of Carnival and on Shrove Tuesday. The Sartiglia follows a fixed ritual established over the centuries. The central figure is Su Componidori, the "king" of the celebrations, who is dressed in costume in a solemn ceremony and is the first to set off at a gallop along the Cathedral street, trying to pierce the star first with his sword and then with a wooden point (su stoccu). Then it is the turn of the other knights he has chosen, and the stars they pierce are an omen of a good harvest.

The mask worn by Su Componidori and the knights also evokes mythical and sacred values: the masks are white and, together with the dress and the hair, they transform the person wearing them into a deity with the power to bless the crowd.

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