A five-century-old
celebration in SaSSari

How the Faradda unfolds

Sassari’s Descent of the Candelieri is a five-century-old festival which, on every August 14th, celebrates the city’s devotion for the Madonna dell’Assunta. Eleven big wooden candles are carried on the participants’ shoulders through the city streets, up to the Santa Maria of Betlem Church. Every year the Faradda di li Candareri – as the celebration is called in the vernacular of Sassari – attracts 100,000 tourists from all over the world.

A five-century-old
celebration in SaSSari

How the Faradda unfolds

Sassari’s Descent of the Candelieri is a five-century-old festival which, on every August 14th, celebrates the city’s devotion for the Madonna dell’Assunta. Eleven big wooden candles are carried on the participants’ shoulders through the city streets, up to the Santa Maria of Betlem Church. Every year the Faradda di li Candareri – as the celebration is called in the vernacular of Sassari – attracts 100,000 tourists from all over the world.

SaSSari’s Candelieri story

The Eve of the Feast of the Assumption has been a day of celebration in Sassari for 500 years. The town honors the vow made to the Virgin Mary who – according to the popular devotion – put an end to a terrible plague. Some documents testify to the 16th century as the beginning of this tradition and the passionate participation of the local residents.

SaSSari’s Candelieri story

The Eve of the Feast of the Assumption has been a day of celebration in Sassari for 500 years. The town honors the vow made to the Virgin Mary who – according to the popular devotion – put an end to a terrible plague. Some documents testify to the 16th century as the beginning of this tradition and the passionate participation of the local residents.

DISCOVER THE ORIGINS

A five-century-old celebration in SaSSari

How the Faradda unfolds

Sassari’s Descent of the Candelieri is a five-century-old festival which, on every August 14th, celebrates the city’s devotion for the Madonna dell’Assunta. Eleven big wooden candles are carried on the participants’ shoulders through the city streets, up to the Santa Maria of Betlem Church. Every year the Faradda di li Candareri – as the celebration is called in the vernacular of Sassari – attracts 100,000 tourists from all over the world.

SaSSari’s Candelieri story

The Eve of the Feast of the Assumption has been a day of celebration in Sassari for 500 years. The town honors the vow made to the Virgin Mary who – according to the popular devotion – put an end to a terrible plague. Some documents testify to the 16th century as the beginning of this tradition and the passionate participation of the local residents.

DISCOVER THE ORIGINS

The steps
of the celebration

During the course of its long history, Sassari’s Descent of the Candelieri has put into place a very precise ritual. It all starts when the crier announces the Descent and the gremio of the Massai meets the mayor at Palazzo Ducale. Together they head to Palazzo di Città where the gremio’s flag is displayed. From early morning, with the rite of The Dressing, the citizenry is involved in the celebration and all the subsequent stages of the event. The Faradda ends late at night, when the candelieri enter Santa Maria of Betlem Church and receive the final blessing.

The Dressing

The long day of the Faradda begins early in the morning, when every gremio – the city associations of arts and crafts – uses flowers, paper wreaths and flags to decorate the wooden candlestick that he will carry on his shoulder during the procession. Typical elements of each particular gremio are often added to the candlestick; for example, the gremio of the massai (landowners) and the farmers add ears of corn to their candlestick. The dressing takes place in the gremio’s headquarters or in the gremiante’s house. The gremiante is responsible for the candle and is also known as obriere di Candeliere.

The Descent

Starting at about 4 p.m., the gremi with their delegates and bearers head to the rendez-vous point in piazza Castello, from where the route begins. At 6p.m., after a thanksgiving mass in the Rosary Church, the descent starts along corso Vittorio Emanuele. The brass band opens the procession, followed by the 12 gremi carrying the candlesticks on their shoulders. They parade from the more recently created gremi to the most traditional ones: facchini (porters), macellai (butchers), fabbri (blacksmiths), piccapietre (stonecutters), viandanti (wayfarers), contadini (farmers), falegnami (carpenters), ortolani (greengrocers), calzolai (cobblers), sarti (tailors), muratori (bricklayers) and massai (landowners).

The Dance

Along the itinerary the bearers move the candlesticks in a kind of dance-like way that is considered a good omen. According to the tradition, the more the candlestick is baddarinu ( = fluctuating), the better the year will be. To the rhythm of the drummer, the heavy wooden structure swings through the crowd, turns on itself and changes direction all of a sudden. The gremi who parade near one another can make their votive candlesticks dance together, bending and making them touch with the so-called “bacio” ( = kiss). This performance requires quite a physical effort.

The Intregu

A significant step of the Faradda is about half-way, in front of the Civic Theatre. Where the Palazzo di Città was once located, the gremio of the massai is received by the mayor for the investiture of the new obriere maggiore and for the traditional “A zent’anni” toast. Then the gremio’s flag is exchanged with the banner of the municipality: this is the Intregu rite, which is followed by a toast and an invitation to the mayor to join the parade. The procession carries on along corso Vittorio Emanuele II, to Sant’Antonio Square, corso Vico, and on to Santa Maria of Betlem Church.

The dissolution of the vow

With the arrival at the churchyard of Santa Maria of Betlem Church, the descent ends. The candlesticks cross the threshold of the Church at about midnight, in the order of precedence laid down in a 1531 document: the city authorities who will be received by the Father Guardian first, then the gremi, in reverse sequence to the order of the parade. A final blessing dissolves the ancient vow made by the citizens of Sassari, until the following year.

The Faradda on video

The devotion, passion and colors of the Descent of the Candelieri can be seen in this video made by Turismo Sassari.

WATCH THE VIDEO

The Faradda on video

The devotion, passion and colors of the Descent of the Candelieri can be seen in this video made by Turismo Sassari.

WATCH THE VIDEO

What the candlestick
looks like

Formerly the candlesticks of the Faradda were wooden structures in which votive wax was preserved. Over time they became big pillars weighing up to 400 kilos. It takes eight people to carry the candlesticks. They consist of three parts: the capital, from which colored ribbons unrolled by children hang; the ten-foot-high trunk, bearing the patron saint’s effigy and the symbols of the gremio; the base, consisting of four staves carried by the bearers.

Every year an
off-course candlestick

There is also an off course in Sassari’s Faradda de li Candareri. It’s a tradition for the gremio of the bricklayers to deviate from his path heading to Largo Porta Utzeri, where one of the ancient city entrances once stood. According to history, the last person to die from the plague would have came out from there, so the bricklayers symbolically stop the outbreak of yet another epidemic with a dance at that spot. At that point the bearers join the others for the last part of the celebration.

What the candlestick looks like

Formerly the candlesticks of the Faradda were wooden structures in which votive wax was preserved. Over time they became big pillars weighing up to 400 kilos. It takes eight people to carry the candlesticks. They consist of three parts: the capital, from which colored ribbons unrolled by children hang; the ten-foot-high trunk, bearing the patron saint’s effigy and the symbols of the gremio; the base, consisting of four staves carried by the bearers.

Every year an off-course candlestick

There is also an off course in Sassari’s Faradda de li Candareri. It’s a tradition for the gremio of the bricklayers to deviate from his path heading to Largo Porta Utzeri, where one of the ancient city entrances once stood. According to history, the last person to die from the plague would have came out from there, so the bricklayers symbolically stop the outbreak of yet another epidemic with a dance at that spot. At that point the bearers join the others for the last part of the celebration.

The itinerary

Following the Descent of the Candelieri is like walking along an ideal tour route in the most evocative part of Sassari. From piazza del Castello, located on the upper side of the town, the procession continues into the historic center along corso Vittorio Emanuele. The spectators on either side of the route can recognize the Church of the Rosario and the Civic Theatre. The streets, which historic shops open onto, lead to the San Nicola Cathedral, the Museo della Città and Sassari’s National Gallery.

The Protagonists

The Descent of the Candelieri is one of the most lively popular festivals in Italy thanks to the participation of Sassari’s inhabitants. Brought together by the gremi, the inhabitants not only enliven the procession itself, but actually live this ancient celebration all year round.

DISCOVER THE PROTAGONISTS

The Protagonists

The Descent of the Candelieri is one of the most lively popular festivals in Italy thanks to the participation of Sassari’s inhabitants. Brought together by the gremi, the inhabitants not only enliven the procession itself, but actually live this ancient celebration all year round.

THE PROTAGONISTS

The itinerary

Following the Descent of the Candelieri is like walking along an ideal tour route in the most evocative part of Sassari. From piazza del Castello, located on the upper side of the town, the procession continues into the historic center along corso Vittorio Emanuele. The spectators on either side of the route can recognize the Church of the Rosario and the Civic Theatre. The streets, which historic shops open onto, lead to the San Nicola Cathedral, the Museo della Città and Sassari’s National Gallery.

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