On Sunday 28 August 2022 the Feast of the Redeemer takes place in Nuoro. An exceptional opportunity to discover authentic Sardinian folklore.
A centenary tradition that arises from faith and becomes the manifestation of a people
The origin of the Sagra del Redentore is relatively modern as it is “only” centenary and therefore more recent than others such as that of San Simplicio in Olbia.
In fact, it was born in 1901 in conjunction with the placement, on the summit of Mount Ortobene overlooking the city, of the large bronze statue of Christ the Redeemer. The location of this statue was commissioned by Pope Leo XIII in memory of the 1990 Jubilee.
The work, a bronze monument over 4 meters high and weighing 2 tons and of valuable artistic value, was created by Vincenzo Jerace, a talented Calabrese artist and inaugurated on 29 August 1901.
The inauguration was celebrated by a religious procession attended by many faithful coming not only from Nuoro but from nearby towns, dressed in traditional costumes, which differ from town to town.
And so, practically spontaneously, year after year this evocative and colorful procession became a custom to which the municipalities first of the Nuoro area and then of other parts of Sardinia decided to participate and with the opportunity to proudly exhibit their costumes .
The Redeemer, in fact, had become a manifestation of the people in which the folkloric and belonging aspect was added to the original, exquisitely religious one.
It was therefore decided to separate the two events.
The religious event remained anchored to the original date, August 29, while it was established that the parade of traditional costumes would take place on the penultimate Sunday of August.
Over the years this initiative, in which hundreds of people from all over Sardinia take part, ends on Sunday evening where all the groups gather at the Quadrivio municipal amphitheater, where they perform in traditional Sardinian songs and dances.
The folkloristic festival as a manifestation of identity and tourist event
Nuoro is the most important center of the Sardinian hinterland and in a certain way it preserves its authenticity.
Rich in museums and cultural events, over the years it has carved out its own space in Sardinia’s tourist offer.
The Feast of the Redeemer, in this context, takes on the role of a driving event among the summer folkloristic festivals in Sardinia.
None of those expressed by the variegated and numerous island reality has in fact the prestige and dimensions of that of Nuoro.
Moreover, the grandiose parade of thousands of Sardinians from practically the whole island in traditional costumes, the imposing parade of knights and the related regional Festival of Popular Traditions is an event to see and participate in.
It attracts thousands of visitors to the city (many non-Italians) who can admire in its most authentic form an artistic, musical and ethnographic tradition as alive as few in Europe.
For Sardinians, it is a sort of moment of pride and memory. Even today, thousands prefer a parade of a few kilometers to a Sunday at sea to see, review and participate in this event that celebrates the sacred and the profane, faith and identity.
In the morning, folkloristic groups parade first with hundreds and hundreds of figures from almost all the towns of Sardinia (with unexpected differences even between neighboring countries) in a riot of colors that are the joy of photographers.
Generally two hours later, the largest equestrian parade on the island begins and undoubtedly one of the largest in Italy.
The Sardinian equestrian tradition blends exceptional horses with a very high tradition of jockeys that monopolizes Italian racing (for example the Palio di Siena, almost always won by a Sardinian jockey), and here it gives its best in scenographic terms. In fact, in the absence of sporting competition, the “competition” shifts to the beauty and care of the appearance of the horses, of the (very numerous) riders and riders.
The Program of the Feast of the Redeemer 2022
The Festa del Redentore intended as a folklore festival always takes place on the last Sunday of August, which in 2022 will fall on 28 August.
The itinerary, subject to changes, should take place between Viale del Lavoro, Via Lamarmora, Corso Garibaldi, Piazza Mazzini, Via Mons. Bua, Piazza Santa Maria della Neve.
The starting time of the event is from 10 in the morning with the parade on foot of the participants in Sardinian costume, then after 12 with that of the knights. From 7 pm, the regional folklore festival begins in the Quadrivio Amphitheater.
Further information on the official website of the Festa del Redentore.
For those looking for authenticity and tradition, for those who want to become more familiar with Sardinia, the Feast of the Redeemer is an unrepeatable occasion. Our Residence hotel Grandi Magazzini is located in the center of Nuoro and is ready to welcome you to offer you spacious, bright, tastefully furnished rooms.
We are waiting for you in Nuoro!
