La Cavalcata Sarda is the "feast of beauty", the only one of the three great traditional Sardinian festivals to be a secular festival, Sant'Efisio in Cagliari and the Redentore festival in Nuoro are in fact religious events.
It is said that its first edition was organized in 1899, on the occasion of a visit to the city by King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Savoy, although it probably resumed a much older tradition present in the Spanish era.
The sounds, the colours, the music and the dances, the jewels, the costumes and the horses fascinate adults and children every year, and involve the many international tourists who come to attend this wonderful celebration.
The Cavalcata Sarda is a festival where every year over three thousand costumes representing the municipalities of the whole island meet, offering an unforgettable show, giving life to the largest secular event in Sardinia, a great spring festival that has earned itself in the last century the title of "celebration of beauty", precisely because of the richness and majesty that characterize it.
Its historical roots refer to the rides through the streets of the city included in the celebrations organized in honor of the rulers, such as that of 1711 in honor of Charles III victor over Philip V.
The first modern editions of the Sardinian Cavalcade took place on the occasion of the presence in the city of famous people: in 1899 for the inauguration of the monument to Vittorio Emanuele II in Piazza d'Italia, in the presence of King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Savoy, which was attended by large numbers of costumed groups coming almost exclusively from the province of Sassari. Also noteworthy are the editions of 1929 and 1939, organized on the occasion of the visit of members of the royal house.
On Sunday morning the parade of costumes and knights takes place in the streets of the city centre, along a route of about two kilometres. The costumed figures followed by the couples on horseback pay homage to the spectators and the authorities by offering typical Sardinian products: bread, sweets, local first fruits. An imposing procession of over three hundred horsemen from all over Sardinia closes the parade.
The early afternoon is dedicated to the pariglie, equestrian events in which the bravest Sardinian knights perform spectacular acrobatics on the racing horses at the Pinna hippodrome, demonstrating their skill and ability.
The event is accompanied by the Festival of traditional Sardinian songs and dances, during which the island's folk groups perform, offering a vast musical and choreographic repertoire.
In Piazza d'Italia the sounds of the launeddas, tenor and accordion songs and the accordion close the party, in a unique and unforgettable atmosphere.
The parade will start at 09:00 from Corso Cossiga and will continue in the streets of the center (emiciclo Garibaldi, via Brigata Sassari, via Cagliari, Borgone and Crispo arcades, piazza d'Italia) up to via Roma, at the corner with via Asproni.
The grandstands will be located in Piazza d'Italia and there will be a speaker in Italian and English
Disabled people: in via Roma, in front of the Court, there will be a position reserved for people with reduced or impaired mobility who will be able to access with a companion.
In the event of difficulty or excessive heat, free drinking water will be distributed at the supply points located in the Garibaldi hemicycle and in via Roma.
08 Apr
03 Apr
16 Mar