Articles > The Arcadia

In a thunder of hooves, a horsemen careers wildly round a small hilltop church, chasing a standard bearer flanked by two horsemen. They beat off with big sticks any horse that gets too close. The crowd swells forward and ebbs back as the galloping horses approach; their excitement is heightened by gunshots ringing in the air.

This is the Ardia, one of Sardinia’s oldest festivals and an insight into the Sardinian soul which, away from the coast, beats to the rhythm of racing hooves and the sound of shots. Under the guise of commemorating the victory that followed when in 312AD Constantine saw a flaming cross inscribed with ‘in this sign thou shall conquer’, a monumental horse race is held in which the horsemen stage a ferocious quest for a flag; though, as with many Sardinian rituals, its roots date back to pre-history.

It is an atmospheric setting, high above the small inland town of Sedilo, overlooking picturesque valleys and Lake Omodeo. Here stands a simple church consecrated to Saint Constantine which, once a year, becomes the focus of this most unrestrained of religious festivals.

In reality, the festival is a chance for the proud men of Sedilo to show off their superior riding skills. It is an honour to be chosen as one of the 30 men taking part and to graduate to being the standard bearer can take a lifetime. The race starts in the town square where the priest blesses the chosen riders, they then ride up to the Sanctuary – the way is lined by stalls selling traditional Sardinian garb, music and roasting suckling pigs for the huge crowd – and the race begins.

As they tear around the church, the explosive atmosphere infects the spectators – the path is narrow and an overexcited horse can easily plunge into the assembly causing havoc and even death. At the final turn they race downhill and everyone cheers as ‘Constantine’ wins, assuring the triumph of Christian values for another year.

Afterwards everyone disperses to the open fields to eat suckling pig with much beer and wine. Handsome horsemen flirt with pretty girls until, at the end of the day, they lead everyone back to Sedilo at a gallop where first the house of the priest then every horseman is visited to eat pastries and drink vernaccia, the local wine. The spirit of revellery overtakes young and old – and in inland Sardinia that can only mean one thing – more gunshots.

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