Who was Sant’Efisio?
According to tradition, Efisio was a Roman soldier who converted to Christianity and was martyred at Nora in 303. He became Cagliari’s most deeply revered saint and a symbol of protection for the city.
Cagliari’s most heartfelt tradition
Sant’Efisio
From ĀMĪTA, the procession passes directly along Largo Carlo Felice, beneath the apartment windows—an exceptional viewpoint from which to experience one of Sardinia’s most moving celebrations.
Why Cagliari celebrates him
The festival renews the solemn vow made by the city during the seventeenth-century plague, when Cagliari asked the saint for protection and promised to honour him every year.
When
The celebration takes place every year from 1 to 4 May. On 1 May the statue leaves the church of Sant’Efisio in Stampace; it returns to Cagliari by midnight on 4 May, completing the vow.
The route
The procession begins in Stampace and crosses the centre along Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and Largo Carlo Felice—directly below ĀMĪTA’s windows—before continuing past the port towards Giorgino. From there the pilgrimage follows the coastal route through Capoterra, Sarroch, Villa San Pietro and Pula to Nora, the traditional place of the martyrdom, before returning to Cagliari.
Sant’Efisio · 1–4 May