Profilo della città

Un'altra manifestazione di grande rilievo è Sciampitta, rassegna di folklore internazionale che si svolge a Quartu S'Elena, nella seconda decade di luglio sin dal 1985. La città per cinque sere è animata da gruppi stranieri che arrivano da tutto il mondo. Il cuore della rassegna è la piazza tra il Municipio e il Mercato che si riempie per cinque sere dando vita a delle serate etniche che hanno fatto diventare l'evento un appuntamento classico per l'estate quartese. La manifestazione, patrocinata dal CIOFF (Confederation International Organizateurs Festivals Folkloristiques), fin dalla sua prima edizione ha simboleggiato amore per le tradizioni popolari e amicizia tra i popoli. Il turista che si trova a visitare la città può così godersi, oltre allo splendido mare, un’indimenticabile serata tuffandosi nell'universo variegato e multicolore delle tradizioni popolari di tutto il mondo.

QUARTU SANT’ALENI

De is orìginis a oi
Cun d-una popolatzioni de 70.000 bividoris, Quartu est sa de tres tzitadis de Sardìnnia po importu, infatu de Casteddu e de Tàtari. Finsas a is annus ’60 sa vida econòmica de sa bidda fiat po su prus messarìtzia, artisanau e salinas. Su èssiri acanta meda de Casteddu at favorèssiu su cresci de sa bidda e de su nùmeru de is bividoris: in pagus dexenas de annus su nùmeru de is chi bivint in Quartu est crèsciu a cuàturu bortas cambiendi una bidda a tzitadi manna, chi est crèscia finas faci a mari.
Nci at paricis nuraxis in totu su comunali de Quartu, giai totus pesaus a càstiu, oru-oru de mari. Fènicius e Romanus si fiant pigaus is puntus prus importantis de su logu, colonizendi is pòpulus chi ddoi biviant, acanta de is paulis in sa costera.Su nòmini ndi-ddu at pigau pròpiu de sa pedra mulla chi marcàt su de cuàturu mìllius de s’arruga romana chi de Casteddu nci torràt a is biddas de aìnturu de s’ìsula. Is Bizantinus chi ndi fiant benius a innoi, in is sèculus avatu, ant lassau un’eredadi culturali manna meda. Sa bisura de su centru stòricu ‘a fusu’ est sa pròpiu de sa bidda in su mediuevu. Sa stòria de s‘ìsula nci iat portau a Quartu asuta de is dominadoris cadalanus, de is feudatàrius spanniolus, de is austrìacus e a ùrtimu de is piemontesus. In su 1793 in sa costera de Quartu is milìtzias de su logu iant firmau de manera eròica su sbarcu de s’armada frantzesa ghiada de s’amiràlliu Troguet.
In su 1959 ndi lompit de sa Repùbrica Italiana s’arreconoscimentu ofitziali de ‘Tzitadi’ anca nci ant aciuntu su nòmini de sa santa patrona puru po no si depi cunfundi cun àterus nòminis ogualis de continenti.

Su logu e sa naturalesa
Quartu tenit una costera spantosa de 26 chilometrus. De su mari famau de su Poetu, aìnturu de sa tzitadi, chi dda partzit e dda pinnigat apari cun Casteddu, finsas a su mari stravanau de Su portu de sa traja (connotu cumenti a Mari Pintau, po mori de sa bellesa de su mari), a Murtauci (Murta durci, poita impari a su fragu de su mari si-ddoi amisturat su fragu de sa murta, spainada meda in Sardìnnia) e a Cala de Moru (Arregordu de is bardanas de is morus). Custu ùrtimu mari nd’at pigau finas sa ‘Bandiera Blu’ europea, po mori de sa calidadi de s’àcua e de is servìtzius turìsticus. Sa ‘Bandiera Blu’ dd’ant donada finas a sa Marina de Capitana, chi est unu portu siguru po is barcas. In sa costera de Cuartu, in s’arruga chi nci torrat a Crabonaxa, ddoi funt finsas logus de interessu naturali, s’oru de mari de Geremeas, sa punta de Is Mortòrius e su cala de Cala Reina.

Po bona sorti nosta, sa tzitadina s’agatat in mesu de un’arretza de parcus, chi arricat su logu po su chi est naturalesa e bellesa de su logu etotu. Difatis s’agatat in s’oru de su stàini de Molentàrgius chi impari a su Poetu e a is salinas, chi oi funt serradas, funt totu unu logu ùmbidu protègiu, anca ddoi faint su niu paricis arratzas de pillonis rarus. Po nai, de su 1993 ddoi est una colònia de mangonis, sa genti arrùbia. Is chi funt apassionaus de castiai pillonis (Birdwatching) e s’atrivint a intrai in is cannas de su pauli chi ddoi est a ingìriu de su stàini, podint mirai sa coabianca o culubiancu (avocetta), su tzurruliu peis longus (cavaliere d’Italia), su puddoni (pollo sultano), su tzurruliu (airone cenerino), sa menga o garza bianca (garzetta), su stori feridori o de pisci (falco di palude) e àteras arratzas raras de pilloni chi nd’aproillant a innoi in certus tempus de s’annu.

Sa parti de monti de Quartu, movit de su parcu de Is Seti Fradis, unu logu arricu meda, cun d-unu padenti prenu prenu de mitzas, spèndulas, spèrrumus, sculturas naturalis de granitu e tupas de su mediterràniu. Est su logu giustu po passillai, po fai gitas, po cuncordai bessidas in monti (trekking) e aventuras stravanadas circhendi su cerbu sardu, chi est raru meda e chi ancora s’agatat in custus logus. E fait a ddoi agatai finas a sirboni.    

Su papai
Sa tzitadi est unu logu de atòbiu assortau intra is tantis culturas de s’ìsula. Podit bantai unu connotu de su papai arricu e de interessu chi pinnigat apari is saboris fortis de su papai de su sartu cun sa finesa de is coxineris de su Mediterràniu. In is bixinaus antigus de sa bidda faint ancora su pani in domu, su cocoi e su modditzosu. Portaus a nòmini is maistus de durcis, chi produsint bobois de dònnia genia, connotus in totu sa Sardìnnia, chi nci tenit meda po is durcis. Guefus, gato’, pirichitus, pistocus, ossus de mortu, pistocus de bentu, candelaus, funt is nòminis de spantu de custus durcis fatus de mèndula, tzùcuru, ou e limoni. 

Is festas e su connotu
Faci a s’acabu de mesi de argiolas, afestant a Santu Giuanni cun su viàgiu arricu de sìmbulus de is seti vìrginis, is tracheras, conca a una cresiedda antiga in sa costa. Movint a traca, chi cuncordant a tipu barca, a vela sprata. Infatu de sa traca, ddoi est su comitau de ‘S’obreria de Santu Giuanni’ e totu is brechis mudaus a festa. Su connotu narat ca sa festa nascit po afestai a su deus Adone e po arregordai unu sacrifìtziu umanu chi is quartesus iant fatu a is dominadoris fenìcius, marineris capassus e conchistadoris abramius.

De interessu religiosu e antropològicu funt is festas de Santa Maria in cabudanni (anca fait a intendi finas a is cantadoris campidanesus) e de Sant’Aleni, patrona de sa bidda.

Sa festa de Sant’Aleni tenit una parti religiosa e una parti tzivili, comenti a sa festa de s’àxina e de su pani, de is durcis e de su binu, sa sfilada de is bistiris traditzionalis, ballus, cantus e spetàculus de is grupus folclorìsticus.

Su bistiri de Quartu est interessanti meda. Sa fèmina portat sa velada, sa camisa a mànigas ladas e aberta. Is crapitas funt de brocau e is mìgias de filu. Su deventali est a forma de trapètziu. Is arrecadas funt a lantioni.

S’òmini portat su serenicu nieddu e arrùbiu. Su corpetu de brocau asulu, a colori de oru o de àterus coloris puru. Tìpicus funt is cratzonis, s’arroda e is cratzas. 

Chistionendi de originalidadi e de elegàntzia de su bistiri de sa fèmina quartesa, in su 1837 su scridori frantzesu Paul Valery iat scritu diaici: ‘Is capeddus de Parigi e is mùssolas de is damas de Casteddu sparessint chi ddus ponis cun is bistiris nòbilis e luxentis de is messajas de Quartu.

Un’àtera festa manna meda est ‘Sciampitta’ un’arrassìnnia de folclori internatzionali de Quartu chi faint in su mesi de argiolas giai de su 1985. In sa bidda, po cincu diis, nci est festa cun grupus stràngius de totu su mundu. Su coru de s’arrassìnnia est sa pratza intra su comunu e su mercau chi si prenit po unus cantu diis cun atòbius ètnicus, chi funt bènnius a essi unu clàssicu de s’istadi quartesa. Custa arrassìnnia tenit su patrocìniu de su CIOFF (Confederation International Organizateurs Festivals Folkloristiques) e giai de sa primu editzioni bolit nai amori po su connotu e amigàntzia intra is pòpulus. Aici su turista chi s’agatat in Quartu si podit gosai su mari spantosu ma finsas una dii in mesu de unu mundu prenu de coloris cumenti funt is traditzionis de totu su mundu.

 

Furriau in sardu de su ‘Portalitu de sa Lìngua Sarda’, Ofìtziu Lìngua Sarda de Quartu (Ivo Murgia). 

QUARTU SANT'ELENA - CITY PROFILE

From Past to Present
With some 70,000 inhabitants, Quartu Sant'Elena is the third largest city in Sardinia in order of importance after Cagliari and Sassari. Until the 1960s the economic life of the town was mainly based on agriculture, handicrafts and salt extraction. The proximity to Cagliari favored a rapid urban and population expansion: in a few decades, the number of residents has increased fourfold , turning a quiet rural village into a real city, whose development has also affected the shoreline.
In its territory there are numerous nuraghis, almost all built to guard the sea approaches. Phoenicians and Romans settled at key points, colonizing the original island population that lived near the coastal marshes. The city took its present name ("Quartu") from the milestone that marked the fourth mile ("quarto miglio") of the Roman road that led from Cagliari towards the interior of the island. The Byzantines who came in later centuries left a remarkable cultural heritage. The current urban structure of the city center follows in principle the medieval layout. The events brought the village under the rule of the Catalans, the Spanish overlords, the Austrians and finally the Piedmonteses. In 1793 the attempted landing and invasion of the French army under the command of Admiral Troguet on the shores Quartu was heroically stopped by a local militia.
In 1959 arrived the official recognition as "City", and the name of the patron saint (Sant'Elena) was added to avoid confusion with homophonic locations nationwide.
 
Environment and Nature
Quartu Sant'Elena has a wonderful coastline of some 26 kms . From the famous urban beach of the Poetto up to the beautiful beaches of Mari Pintau (the " Painted Sea", so named for its extraordinary beauty ), Murtaucci (the "Sweet Myrtle", where the strong smell of the sea mixes with the fragrance of the myrtle) and Kala ' e Moru (or "Saracen's Cove" in memory of the raids of the Arab pirates). This beach has been awarded with the "Blue Flag", the European recognition related to water quality and tourism services. The Blue Flag has been attributed to the port of Marina di Capitana, a safe and fully equipped harbor for pleasure boats . In the coastal territory, along the road that leads to Villasimius , you can also see places of great scenic interest, such as the coast of Geremeas, Is Mortorius and the bay of Cala Regina .
The town is lucky enough to be at the center of an integrated system of parks that makes his territory rich in natural and environmental attractions. It stands on the banks of Molentargius which, together with the Poetto and State salt-pans, now abandoned , is a protected wetland area where you can find rare species of nesting birds. In particular, since 1993 there is a colony of pink flamingos. For bird watching lovers and those who dare to venture into the reeds of the surrounding marsh, it is not difficult to spot the Avocet , the Black-winged Stilt, the Purple Swamphen, the Grey Heron, the Little Egret, the Marsh Harrier and other rare migratory species.
The mountainous hinterland of the city is also part of the Parco dei Sette Fratelli, an area rich in forests dotted with springs, waterfalls, cliffs, natural granite sculptures and Mediterranean scrub. It is the ideal place for walking, hiking , trekking and exciting adventures in search of the rare Sardinian deer, that still lives here. There are also numerous wild boars.
 
Food and Wine
The city, a meeting point between the different cultures of the island of Sardinia, has a rich and interesting culinary tradition that combines the intense flavors of the traditional agro-pastoral cuisine with the refined Mediterranean culture. In some old areas of the city the bread is still hand made in the old forms of "coccoi" and "modizzosu". Special mention should be made of the masters of confectionery, who produce traditional delicacies of all kinds: gueffus, gattò, piricchitus, pistoccus, ossus de mortu, pistoccus de bentu, candelaus are the names of some of these exotic delicacies made from almond paste, sugar, eggs and lemon.
 
Festivals and Traditions
Towards the end of July the ancient rites of the feast of St. John the Baptist take place with the journey - full of symbols – of seven virgins (called "traccheras") to the ancient church on the coast aboard a typical wagon ("Sa tracca") set so as to remember a boat bow or a sail inflated by the wind. Behind Sa Tracca the notables of the organizing committee follow with a range of antique carriages decorated for the occasion . Popular tradition has it that the festival is inspired by the pagan myth of Adonis and remember a painful human toll of the Phoenicians rulers, skilled sailors and rapacious conquerors.
Of particular interest are also the anthropological and religious september festivals of Santa Maria and Sant'Elena, the patron saint of the City. The festivities in honor of Sant'Elena include religious ceremonies and a variety of civic events, such as the grape festival, the exhibition of bread, cakes and wine, the parade of costumed groups, dances, songs and folklore shows.
The traditional costume of Quartu is one of the most interesting in Sardinia. The women's clothing has a black jacket with the sleeves ending above the elbow. The shirt has a finely embroidered collar. The shoes are brocade. The apron has a trapezoid shape. The earrings evoke the figure of ancient amphorae.
For the male costume, a red jacket with black shiny lapels; the jacket is of blue and gold brocade. "Ragas" and leggings are typical.
Another major event is Sciampitta, the international folklore festival that takes place in Quartu S'Elena in the second decade of July since 1985. The city is animated for five nights by foreign groups coming from all over the world. The heart of the festival is the square between the Town Hall and the Market which is filled for five nights, giving life to the ethnic parties that have made the event a classic summer event. This event since its first edition has symbolized the love for folk traditions and friendship among peoples. The tourists visiting the city can thus enjoy, in addition to the beautiful beaches, an unforgettable evening by diving into varied and colorful folk traditions from around the world.