Sardinia is my favourite Italian island, and Cagliari is quite one of the most beautiful parts, which is why I sent my characters Venetia and Paolo there in The Echoes of Love. Paolo explains to Venetia:

‘Legend has it that after the seven days of Creation, God decided to give the angels a land where they could live in peace, with the condition that it had to be a place where there were no wars or evil. The angels searched long, until they came down on our earth and discovered the Gulf of Cagliari with its emerald sea, its green vegetation, and the pure white of its cliffs.’

The blue, the green, the white: when I think of Sardinia, what always stands out to me is colour. And so of course I adore the most colourful of the island’s festivals: the Sagra of Saint Efisio, which begins today.

At the heart of the festivities is a four-day procession, leading from Cagliari to the Romanesque church of Saint Efisio on the beach at Nora (see the picture). The streets come alive as float after float passes by, each vibrant with colour.

There are the traccas, carts pulled by oxen and adorned with flowers and local foods, and then Sardinians dressed in the traditional costumes of their area, voices raised in prayer and song. As one writer notes: ‘Among the most eye catching costumes are the orange coloured costumes from Desulo, the austere black dresses worn by the beautiful and very tall girls from Tempio, the traditional gold jewellery on the waistcoats of the costumes from Quartu and the barefooted fishermen from Cabras.’

Following on are Sardinians on horseback, and then the comes the ancient golden coach that carries the statue of Saint Efisio, whose passage is accompanied by the launeddas, Sardinian pipes. Many spectators reach out to touch the carriage as it passes, to connect to the saint, and in the port the boats sound their horns.

Finally, the procession reaches Nora, where there are ceremonies and banquets – until 4th May, when the statue returns to Cagliari by torchlight. It’s laid in the Saint Efisio church to the promise Altrus Annus (Other Years) ready for the next May.

But why all this ceremony for Efisio? Because the Sardinian people feel they owe the saint for saving them.

Saint Efisio has a special connection to the island, for he was born a Christian there, and died one as a martyr for his faith. A Roman soldier, he was sent to Sardinia with orders to put down Christianity there. But instead, an epiphany caused him to turn to God. His emperor was not impressed, but Efisio would not renounce his religion; consequently, he was made an example of and beheaded on Nora beach in the year 303. The Sardinians built churches for Efisio at Cagliari and Nora, and vowed always to honour his courage and sacrifice.

The Sagra of Saint Efisio procession began in 1652, when Cagliari was beset by a deadly plague. Half of the population were wiped out when the authorities made a very public deal with the saint: if he would stop the plague, the people of Cagliari would carry his statue from Cagliari to Nora each year, a journey taking four days. The plague ended, and to this day the Cagliarians honour their promise. Who can fail to admire that steadfast commitment?