The Redentore of Nuoro

Above Nuoro, on the summit of Monte Ortobene, among holm oaks and granite boulders, stands a statue unlike any other. The Christ the Redeemer is not stiff and solemn: his arm is raised, his body slender, one foot slightly lifted, as if he were about to dance or take flight over the city. Every year at the end of August Nuoro dedicates its biggest festival to him, mixing faith, folklore and pride in its identity.

A statue for the Jubilee

In 1900, a Jubilee year, Pope Leo XIII promoted an unusual initiative: nineteen statues of Christ the Redeemer were to be raised on as many Italian peaks, one for each region, as a sign of faith at the start of the new century. For Sardinia the choice fell on Monte Ortobene, which rises almost a thousand metres above Nuoro.

The statue, made entirely of bronze, was commissioned from the Calabrian sculptor Vincenzo Jerace and paid for by public subscription across the island. It was placed on the summit and blessed on 29 August 1901. Since then that day has been the heart of the festival. Grazia Deledda, born in Nuoro and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, was very fond of this festival and of the mountain, which often appears in her writing.

The costume parade

On the Sunday before 29 August the streets of central Nuoro fill for the great parade of traditional costumes, born, like the Cavalcata of Sassari, to show the richness of Sardinian traditions. Groups in festive dress come from dozens of villages: women in embroidered bodices, large shawls and filigree jewellery, men in orbace wool and velvet. The procession starts from Viale del Lavoro, crosses Via Lamarmora and Corso Garibaldi, the city's main street, passes through Piazza Mazzini and arrives at the cathedral of Santa Maria della Neve. It is opened by mounted carabinieri and a traditional ox cart and closed by groups of riders.

Since the early 2000s the parade has been preceded, on Saturday evening, by a parade of the traditional masks of Barbagia and Sardinia: the Mamuthones and Issohadores of Mamoiada, the Boes and Merdules of Ottana, the Thurpos of Orotelli, the Mamutzones of Samugheo and many more. Seeing them all together, with the din of cowbells echoing between the buildings of the corso, is hard to forget.

The folk festival

On Sunday evening the festival moves to the stadium, where the regional folk festival is held: the groups perform traditional dances accompanied by canto a tenore, launeddas and button accordion. Nuoro and Barbagia are the home of canto a tenore, the four-part male singing recognised by UNESCO as world heritage, and the festival is one of the best chances to hear it live.

The pilgrimage to Ortobene

On the evening of 28 August a torchlight procession crosses the city in prayer. At dawn on the 29th, the feast day itself, the faithful set off on foot from the cathedral of Santa Maria della Neve and climb to the summit of Ortobene along the road that winds up through the woods. It is a walk of a few hours that many Nuoresi make every year. At the top, at the foot of the statue, a solemn mass is celebrated, followed by a procession around the mountain park.

Just below the summit is the little church of Nostra Signora del Monte, and around it are picnic areas among the holm oaks where families spend the day. From the top the view sweeps over the Supramonte of Oliena, the Cedrino valley and, on clear days, as far as the sea at Orosei.

Tips for attending

The costume and mask parades are free and can be watched along the route; arrive early on Corso Garibaldi or in Piazza Mazzini. The full programme with times for every event is published each year by the City of Nuoro. For the pilgrimage on 29 August you need comfortable shoes and water: the climb is long and it is still hot at the end of August, although the air is cooler higher up.

Nuoro is also a city to explore at leisure: the Costume Museum, Grazia Deledda's birthplace, the MAN contemporary art museum and the old Santu Predu quarter. A few kilometres away are Oliena and the Su Gologone spring, Orgosolo with its murals and Mamoiada with its mask museum. The sea at Orosei and Cala Gonone is less than an hour away.