Why are those who live in Villanova in Cagliari called "Biddanoesu inforra Christu"?
The meaning and origins of the nickname of the residents of the historic district at the foot of CastelloWhat does “biddaonesu inform Christu” mean? We are talking about a nickname, a nickname from the past, typical of the inhabitants of one of the historic districts of Cagliari : Villanova. The district is located just below the Castello district, at the foot of the Saint Remy bastion. Until the First World War, a multitude of farmers, breeders, artisans and bakers lived there. It was in fact a neighborhood full of gardens and land. Its inhabitants were known as “biddanoesus inforra Christu” or “inforra Christus” in the plural: the translation from Sardinian into Italian would be: “Villanovese inforna Cristo”.
But why? According to some scholars a hypothesis is religious. It seems that where the church of San Giacomo is today there was a synagogue and that a Jewish colony lived in Villanova. However, no historical documents emerge to support the fact that there were Jews in the neighborhood.
A second option is linked to the work of bakers. In fact, Villanova was the bakers' district: the largest number of bakers were concentrated here. So it may be that when there was no wood they burned anything, including wooden crucifixes: this explains the meaning of "Biddanoesu informra Christu".
(Unioneonline)