Sa Carrela ‘E Nanti, the street in view.
Everything takes place here, at the center of the old main street of Santu Lussurgiu, Sardinian town in the province of Oristano.
One road, one town, and a historical and cultural legacy that dates back to 900 A.D. when first the judges of Arborea and then the Spanish viceroys decided to establish and so heavily promote the raising of horses so as to obtain special breeds for racing (Sardinian Anglo-Arab). To this day, the ties to horses still push the people of Lussurgiu to celebrate their carnival in a remarkable way. A race, a wild race, along the historical Carrela which, every year, comes alive to host an event that encapsulates the essence of people born here. Courage, strength, and sacrifice coalesce with a greatly respected animal symbolic of a thousand-year-old culture. Three days of races, trials, and wide-open doors to celebrate the carnival but also to not forget one’s origins. Three days of commitment, anxiety, and tension to prepare for and participate in bold trials that bring the entire town together.
In my time here, I have not only tried to photograph a festival or a beautiful tradition, but I have also tried to connect with the people who keep such traditions alive, capturing the ways in which they express their essence. Lives of hardships, sacrifice, and work that still find the time to prepare and train a horse. Families worried but overjoyed to see their children carry on the tradition. Families that opened the door for me to a unique world comprised of antique knowledge, commitment, simplicity, and respect. Lives that cannot resist to the call of Sa Carrela ‘E Nanti.
