The fires of Sant'Antonio

On the night between 16 and 17 January Sardinia lights up. In the squares of hundreds of villages, especially inland, great bonfires are lit: stacks of wood as tall as houses, whole tree trunks, bundles of rosemary and maquis. People gather around the fire, drink wine, eat sweets and bread, dance in a ring. It is the feast of Sant'Antonio Abate, Sant'Antoni de su fogu, the saint of fire.

The legend of the stolen fire

In Sardinia St Anthony the Abbot, the Egyptian hermit and protector of animals, has a special role. According to a legend found all over the island, people once had no fire, which was kept in hell. Anthony went down there with his staff of ferula, the plant with a hollow stem, and while the devils were distracted by his piglet he hid an ember inside the staff. Back on earth, he gave it to humankind. That is why, even today, Sant'Antonio's fire is a good fire that protects homes, animals and crops.

Like many Sardinian festivals, this one overlays much older rites. A fire lit in midwinter, when the days begin to lengthen, is an act of good wishes: asking the light to return and the earth to bear fruit. In many villages people still read the flames and sparks for omens about the year ahead.

Preparing the bonfire

Preparations begin days or weeks before. The village youths, often those of the same leva, born in the same year, go out to the countryside to collect wood with carts and tractors. In Orosei collecting begins at Epiphany and the bundles are piled around a tall pole, the pirone. In Siniscola, the night before, large quantities of rosemary and other maquis plants, su ramasinu, are gathered in the countryside; when burnt they fill the whole village with scent. In Tramatza the wood arrives on decorated carts, each with its pandera, a kerchief tied to the top of a cane. In Soddì sa tuva, a large hollow trunk, is burned. In Samassi the pile, su fogaroni, rises around a six-metre pole.

On the evening of the 16th the priest blesses the bonfire, often after a procession with the saint's statue, and the fire is lit. In Soleminis the statue of the saint is carried in a night procession adorned with oranges.

The masks' first outing

In Barbagia the night of Sant'Antonio marks the start of Carnival. In Mamoiada fires are lit in every quarter, dozens of bonfires scattered around the village, and around them the Mamuthones and Issohadores make their first appearance of the year, with the deep sound of their cowbells. The families who lit the fires offer everyone wine, sweets and bread. In Ottana, around the bonfire by the church of San Nicola, the Boes, Merdules and Filonzana appear, summoned by the sound of a key scraped on a bronze plate. It is one of the most evocative moments of the Sardinian winter.

Where to see them

The fires are lit almost everywhere on the island, but some villages are particularly well known. In Barbagia: Mamoiada, Ottana, Orani, Fonni, Gavoi, Ovodda, Olzai. In the Baronia: Orosei, Siniscola, Torpè, Onifai, Dorgali. In Montiferru and the Guilcier: Scano di Montiferro, Silanus, Soddì, Tresnuraghes. In the Campidano: Samassi, Soleminis, Tramatza, Siapiccia. In Gallura the feast is called Sant'Antoni di lu focu and is keenly celebrated in San Teodoro. In Seui the fires, is fogaronis, are lit as early as the evening of 14 January in every quarter.

A few days later, on 19 and 20 January, many villages in the Campidano and Gerrei light more bonfires for San Sebastiano.

Tips

In January it is cold inland, often below freezing at night: dress warmly. The bonfires are lit in the evening, usually after mass; arrive in the afternoon, explore the village and check the time with the local tourist office or town hall. This is a community festival, not a tourist event: you will be welcomed generously, but respect the village's customs and rhythms. Many Barbagia villages have farm stays and B&Bs, but few beds, so book ahead.