Quartu hosts the Feast of Saint John the Baptist again this year, the city's oldest festival, which apparently dates back to a pagan Phoenician rite. A celebration steeped in faith and devotion, it will engage the people of Quartu with its rituals and inspiration from Saturday until Wednesday. Worker Stefano Campus and his wife Daniela Porcu presented the festival program, and the seven excited traccheras, the young women who will have the honor of climbing the tracca and accompanying Saint John with their songs, the famous goccius, which are nothing more than sung prayers.
They are all very young and enthusiastic: Anastasia Piras, 16, Greta Piras, 14, Alessandra Mulliri, 16, Enrica Portas, 14, Angelica Melis, 12, and the youngest, Mia Ibba and Eleonora Sollai, both 10. For days, they have been preparing with great dedication to learn the goccius, before the moved and proud eyes of their parents.
"This is all our first time participating in the festival as tracchere," the girls say. "In the last few days, we've learned the goccius and put our first paper star in the tracca. I'm really overjoyed." Stefano Campus, who had already been an obriere a few years ago, can't contain his excitement. "This is the third time for my wife and I," he says, "but each time is different. The best moment is definitely when I go out to get the traccheras and bring them home to my wife." Each tracchera will bring a gateaux, the magnificent and spectacular sugar sweets, as a gift to the obriera.
The festival will open on Saturday at 2:00 PM with the departure from Via San Salvatore of the farmer Stefano Campus, who will pick up the seven traccheras, each from their homes. At 7:00 PM, also from Via San Salvatore, the procession with the tracca will depart, accompanied by carriages, floats, and musicians Michele Deiana, Celio Mocco, and Stefano Cara. They will be joined by folk groups: Città di Quarto, the Sorres Association of Villasor, and the Nuraghe of Settimo. The procession will reach Parodi Park in Sant'Andrea, passing through Via Leonardo da Vinci. At 9:30 PM, in Parodi Park, there will be an evening of music with the Radiofonica group. Sunday begins at 8:00 AM with a Holy Mass for deceased members in the Church of Sant'Andrea, followed at 10:30 AM by a procession through Via San Giovanni, Via Leonardo da Vinci, and Parodi Park. Immediately afterward, Mass will be celebrated by Father Stefano Cogoni. At 7:00 PM, the historical parade with floats, carriages, and traccas will depart from Parodi Park toward the city, passing along the coastal road. Participants will include the Città di Quarto folk group, the Fedora Putzu Association of Selargius, and the Sant'Antonio Folklore Cultural Association of Maracalagonis. At 9:30 PM, there will be a musical performance in Parodi Park. The celebration will continue on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in Via San Salvatore with the cutting and tasting of Gatteaux (a typical dessert) and musical performances.