After seven years of waiting, the Holy Door of the Basilica of Our Lady of Luogosanto was opened again before a huge crowd of faithful.
It was the most intense and symbolic moment of the 798th Manna Festival of Gaddura, which between September 7 and 8 brought pilgrims, communities, brotherhoods, and groups from various parts of Sardinia to the Gallura town to pay homage to the Madonna Queen of Gallura. A Gate that opens only every seven years and which for Luogosanto goes far beyond ritual. Passing through it means entering a history of devotion that has spanned generations and has, once again, transformed the small Gallura town into one of the island's spiritual hubs. The Manna Festival itself, which for nearly eight centuries has ideally united Gallura, has taken on an even deeper meaning this year precisely because it coincides with the seven-year opening.
For Luogosanto's mayor, Agostino Pirredda, the 2026 edition once again restored the supra-municipal dimension of the Manna Festival and, with the opening of the Holy Door, further highlighted Luogosanto's role as a meeting place for faithful and communities from across the island.
"September 8th for Luogosanto," Pirredda states, "is not a day like any other. It is the day on which we rediscover our roots, our faith, and the deepest sense of belonging to our community. The Festa Manna is a legacy of faith, history, and identity that we have inherited from those who came before us, and which we have a duty to preserve, protect, and pass on. It is always moving to experience the Feast dedicated to Maria Bambina, and this year we once again had the great privilege of witnessing the opening of the Holy Door in our Basilica. It is in moments like this that we fully understand the true meaning of the Festa Manna: welcoming, coming together, opening the town to the people of Gallura. Over the centuries," the mayor recalls, "the people of Gallura would come to Luogosanto for the celebrations and stay for several days, until they concluded. In Gallura, they used to say: "andemo a spunì a Locusantu." It was the expression with which the inhabitants of the stazzi indicated precisely this: going to relatives and staying in Luogosanto for the entire duration of the celebration, including the Novena».
The most anticipated moment arrived on the evening of Monday, September 7, at the end of a journey that began at 6:00 PM from the Church of San Quirico with the Rite of Fire and the penitential procession of the Confraternities, presided over by the bishop of the diocese of Tempio-Ampurias, Roberto Fornaciari, and accompanied by the Città di Tempio band and the folk groups 'Accademia Tradizioni Popolari' of Tempio Pausania and Civitas Mariana of Luogosanto. At 7:15 PM, the solemn mass in the basilica was celebrated, followed immediately by the opening of the Holy Door. In front of the basilica, the rite brought together a crowd of faithful who had come to Luogosanto to witness a gesture that retains its symbolic power intact: the passage through that Door that tradition links to pilgrimage, reconciliation, and devotion to the Madonna.
"The feast of the Nativity of Mary is the most important, and we celebrate it precisely as the Queen of Gallura, the first Marian feast of the pastoral year, when all the devotion of the Gallura people gathers around the image of the Madonna," emphasizes Don Roberto Fornaciari, bishop of the diocese of Tempio Ampurias. "The opening of the Holy Door is yet another reason to come and show our faith in this place, in a moment of reconciliation with the Lord. Luogosanto is a place of prayer around which the value of pilgrimage and the participation of the faithful are rediscovered."
A significance that was also recalled on the eve of the Feast by the parish priest, Don Roberto Aversano: "Crossing that Gate means retracing the faith of thousands of pilgrims, who have chosen our town to lay their prayers, supplications, wishes, and thanksgiving at the feet of the Madonna Queen of Gallura."
From the Holy Door to the Festa Manna. On September 8th, Luogosanto renewed the bond between the town, Gallura, and Nostra Signora di Locusantu. Celebrations began at 8:30 a.m. in the Basilica with Holy Mass officiated by the Bishop of the Diocese of Ozieri, Corrado Melis. At 9:30 a.m., the traditional handover of the banners of Nostra Signora di Locusantu and San Simplicio, patron saint of Gallura, to the knights of Luogosanto for the rite of Lu Caracolu. From the San Trano crossroads, the procession of knights, folk groups, and marching bands then set out, preceding the great procession of Nostra Signora di Luogosanto at 10:30 a.m. A long procession of faith and tradition, in which the religious dimension was combined with the elements that have accompanied the Festa Manna for generations: the knights, traditional costumes, bands, folk groups, and community banners. A rite that continues to speak not only to Luogosanto but to the entire Gallura region, which recognizes in the Madonna di Locusantu one of its religious and identity references.
"We put our all into it; it's the most important festival in town. We collaborate with Fidali 1982, the parish priest, and the administration to ensure it's a Manna Festival for everyone, not just for us but also for all the guests who come from other towns," explains Angelo Cuccu, president of the Luogosanto Pro Loco . "As soon as the Festival is over, we start working on next year's event. Everyone who comes here should feel at home; we try to do everything we can to make that happen."
This participation also accompanied the work of the Gaddura Manna Festival Committee – Fidali 1982, chaired by Alice Mannoni, who led the organization of an edition prepared over the course of a year, working with the parish and municipal administration, the Pro Loco, and with the artistic coordination of Alessandro Secchi. The twelve members of the Committee's journey began on September 15, 2025, with the passing of the Madonna flag and continued through collections, donations, sponsorships, and the organization of events.
The day of September 8th continued in the afternoon with religious events and traditional performances. At 10:00 PM, Ermal Meta's concert took place in Piazza Incoronazione, one of the most anticipated events of the program, attended by a large audience from across the island. The celebrations continued on Wednesday, September 9th, with the day dedicated to Saint Joseph: a procession in honor of the saint, starting at 10:30 AM from the Basilica Square, accompanied by the porters, featuring the Michele Columbano band of Calangianus, the Civitas Mariana folk group, and civil and religious authorities, followed by a solemn Mass at 11:30 AM. In the afternoon, there were games and entertainment for children, and at 7:00 PM, a concert by the Michele Columbano band. At 10:00 PM, in Piazza Incoronazione, more music with the Tazenda band. The long calendar finally concludes with the Festa di L'Ottu on September 15th, the final event of the 798th edition. After the religious celebrations, the evening will be dedicated to the closing of the event and the handover from Fidali 1982 to Fidali 1983, which will symbolically mark the beginning of the journey towards the next Festa Manna.
(Unioneonline)