La Sartiglia

63 The winner of the “Sartiglia” held in 1547, celebrating Charles V ’s victories, was awarded a drape of precious fabric. Maybe, even in the past, honour and prestige were more important than any prize. It was the era of the ring, evoking the time of the Crusades, the knighthood and the courtly fights. The Spanish legacy was substantial but not exclusive. People celebrated great events, often affecting the nobles, but later history laid its veil on Oristano’s main feast. History and its constant changes. From the large landowners to the bourgeoisie and finally to the common people. The Guilds, that is the two corporations of workers, took the reins. Meantime, the ring was substituted by a star. These couple of minutes have been the most fascinating moment of the joust both for the citizens of Oristano and the increasing crowd of foreigners for ages. The horsemen galloping to spear the ring represent the climax of the ritual because the number of stars caught at the end of the joust grant a certain share of good omen. People enjoy the swaying costumes, the richly decorated horses, the horsemen’s strength and precision, thinking that those moments are the threads of a story that cannot be lost. Even some bravery is at stake, galloping together with risk (some “Sartiglia” editions report bloody accidents), perhaps a personal redemption feeling too. In the background, since the “judicatures” (judge-ruled districts) era and later during the Spanish occupation age, there has always been the confirmation of a community identity who really knew what experiencing an oppressive regime meant. The protagonist, the leader of the ceremony, is always “Su Componidori” among trumpet blasts and rolls of drums. Passing under the star hanging from a green ribbon, he greets the people right in front of the Cathedral steeple. He will be the first to tempt fate followed by his two fellow horsemen. He will choose the identity and the number of horsemen riding their fast-running steeds on the sandy track. At the end of the joust, holding a wooden spear named “su stoccu”, he will try again to catch the star followed by his two fellow horsemen. Finally he will conclude the joust with his last act of bravery, “sa remada”, a fast-running gallop on the sandy track lying backwards on his horse. Another ritual, another mystery.