November 2011

A region of traditions and prophecies. The rite of St. Anthony’s fire in Sardinia is celebrated on the night of January 16 by burning wood and rosemary in honor of Anthony, who according to legend, would steal a glowing spark to the devil giving it to men and endowing them with the fire. It is a mixture of Christian tradition and pagan worship of ancient origin.

According to the legend in the ancient time the temperatures in Sardinia were so low that the population, exhausted by the pestilence of animals and plants, turned to the saint for help. So St. Anthony decided to descend to the underworld to help men.

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An ancient tradition lost in a time out of mind: Sardinian carpets are part of isle craftsmanship history. Deeply connected with main Sardinia’s farming activities, the big amount of wool at disposal always permitted a great production of craft products such as carpets, since Roman age.

Since 1800, Sardinia’s carpet production was a women’s work prerogative due to the fact that carpets were part of the wedding trousseau. The persistence of this tradition preserved the ancient techniques of production for many generations.

The wool used for  Sardinian carpets, is the one coming from ovine rather than the goat’s one.  This main raw material is also woven with textile vegetal fibers such as: cotton, linen and hemp. Colors are made from plants of Sardinia since 1900, to complete a cycle of production in which all is natural, starting from the raw materials to end with the tools used (such as the old wooden handloom).

The antiquity of this tradition resounds in the decorations chosen for this kind of carpets, taking back to the ancient iconographic symbols .

Discovering Sardinian carpets will take you to the main towns in which this wonderful craftsmanship has been developed: Nuoro, Oristano, Olbia.

All the taste of Sardinia: is there a better Christmas present to give to everyone who love this country? And this is a special idea even for all the people who want to invite their friends to discover the culture and the pleasures of this island.

Sardegna.com suggests you an irresistible binomial that combines class, tradition and taste: it’s the box with Argiolas and Pasticceria Piemontese di Cagliari (“Piedmont cake shop of Cagliari”). The taste of the biscuits of this renowned cake shop of Cagliari will be served with the extraordinary organoleptic quality of the award-winning Angialis wine, a smooth one with an unmistakable golden color born from the encounter of the Nasco and Malvasia grapes.

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Autumn in Barbagia 2011 Cortes Apertas has arrived to Atzara to November 25, in the valley where flows river Araxis, which goes down from the mountain Maseddu, almost full geographic center of Sardinia. An area characterized by the imposing Gennargentu, the granite monoliths, but also from the forests of cork trees and holm oaks and long rows of vines.

It is in this medieval village that for Autumn in Barbagia will open the Cortes, to show the ancient Sardinian crafts. It will assist the production of soap, the opening of the first barrel and the tasting of wine, the preparation and tasting of brandy. In the streets of the village sounds and traditional dances will accompany the tourists on their way. Read more »

The meaning of the flag of Sardinia have its deep roots in an ancient past soaked in legend and confirmed by the historical facts: the origin of the standard of the four Moors, symbol of Sardinia, is shrouded in mystery still today.

Originally, the meaning of the flag of Sardinia was related to the war events of the Kingdom of Aragon, that ruled the Sardinia from 1324 AD to 1479 AD. The historical tradition has it that the four heads represent four victories achieved by the Kingdom of Aragon against the invading Moors: Zaragoza, Valencia, Murcia and the Balearics. Read more »