March of Candelieri 2025: the most fascinating religious festival in Sardinia in 5 points

Traditional festivals, rituals and celebrations are the core of an Italy that wants to keep alive those customs handed down for centuries, proudly reproposing them every year, involving local population and attracting tourists with great excitement and passion.

The city of Sassari, with its March of Candelieri and with the rich program of events Salude & Trigu, is the perfect example of how important and shared is the feeling of authenticity in Sardinian culture.

Faradda of Sassari boasts five centuries of history, but does not show it at all! Every year it attracts thousands of visitors from everywhere in Sardinia and even abroad, captivating all the participants to the event with its immortal charm. It is indeed part of the Rete delle Grandi Macchine a Spalla Italiane (Netowrk of Great Italian Shoulder Votive Machines) and has been included in the Unescointangible cultural heritage since 2013.

But what makes this festival so magical? Here are 5 things to know about March of Candelieri to fully enjoy a truly unforgettable experience!

The March or Faradda of Candelieri is one of the tmost ancient and interesting traditional festivals that makes Sardinia an even more fascinating region. These events are the lifeblood of sardinian cultural heritage, which is handed down for entire generations, transmitting the customs and values that characterise the sense of belonging of local communities. 

They represent a bridge between past and present, an opportunity to rediscover the roots of the territory and enhance them, proudly showing tourists from all over the world the history and identity of a region rich in enchanting natural resources. This festival will also allow you to get closer to sardinian culture and experience unforgettable emotions, those that Sardinia offers throughout the year, to discover also with the program of Salude & Trigu.

In 2025 as well, on the eve of the festival of the Assumption of Mary on August 14 - better known as Ferragosto out of religious contexts - Faradda awaits you to rediscover once again the magic of tradition in the heart of Sassari. Are you ready to attend a historic event? Let's discover together 5 things you didn't know about the March of Candelieri!

The Candelieri celebrations event, despite being born for a religious occasion, is a moment of joy and sharing that involves the whole community of locals and tourists in the city of Sassari. The streets are filled with colour and joy, an opportunity to stroll through the streets of the historic centre, discovering the noble palaces and baroque churches that embellish the city.

In the weeks leading up to the evening of the March of Candelieri, in Sassari you will be able to attend traditional music concerts and folklore shows and visit craft markets where to taste typical products and learn about local gastronomy.

In particular, it will be fascinating to follow the events of the Piccoli Candelieri and the Medi Candelieri, organised to introduce the youngest to this important tradition. The weight of the candles is in proportion to their age, but the religious feeling and atmosphere are certainly impressive. The events of Faradda di li Candareri, after the great celebration on August 14 and 15, officially ends at the end of the month, when the candelieri - the shoulder votive machines - return to their seats waiting until the following year.

The event, in Sassari dialect Faradda di li Candareri, has always been held on August 14 as a ritual that pays homage to Madonna dell’Assunta (Our Lady of Assumption), and thank her for setting the city free from the plague. The event, one of the most fascinating sardinian religious rituals, enlivens the streets of Sassari with a procession in which candlesticks are carried on shoulders, so they are decorated wooden machines that have a deeply religious significance.

Protagonists of the parade are Gremi, the evolution of the ancient guilds of arts and crafts, that march with their own wooden columns topped by flags. Each guild offers its speciality: blacksmiths, butchers, farmers, carpenters, all ancient jobs handed down over the centuries, celebrated one by one on the occasion of their own patron saint too, that forged the sardinian social structure.

The March of Candelieri in Sassari is one of the Italian festivals in which the procession takes place by means of ‘macchina a spalla’, that is the hand-carrying of heavy sacred structures by the devotees.

A similar system occurs for the Gigli Feast of Nola, but in that case the wooden machines are smaller and lighter than the Candelieri of Sassari. Both occasions offer moments of great excitement and passion, with chants, music and traditional costumes shaping a unique and thrilling atmosphere.

The bearers of votive machines have a tough physical task, that of parading with a weight of about four quintals for a height of three metres. Usually eight people are chosen who are able to advance in synchrony. During the procession, the mayor and town councillors also join in and proceed to the church of St Mary of Bethlehem, where occurs the blessing of Candelieri and the whole town and the renewal of the vow to the Assumption. The traditional greeting ‘A zent'anni!’ concludes the procession.

Faradda dei Candelieri is a celebration of deep faith and devotion to Our Lady of Asumption, which retains a profound value in popular tradition. It originated with a vow, the promise to carry votive candles every year, and is proposed as a very intense and engaging moment of spiritual recollection for all Sassari.

The lit candles become the symbol of the soul's ascent to heaven. Tourists participating in the event, in awe by the charm of the local tradition that revives with brand new excitement to the present, find themselves in a magical atmosphere giving unforgettable emotions.

The preparation of the event includes some historic steps. In the morning of August 14 Candelieri are decorated out to be the real stars of the festival. In the evening they all meet in Piazza Castello and from here the procession through the streets of the old town begins, with all Gremi carrying the characteristic Candeliere of their own job.

The procession is accompanied by prayers and religious chants that emphasise the sacredness of each moment and everything is experienced in communion, overcoming all social divisions. The hard work of the people, who work for months, connects into a show of solemnity and solidarity with the aim of making all visitors part of all these shared feelings.

If you have chosen to take part in the festival of Candelieri, you can plan an extraordinary trip to North Sardinia to experience many other events and emotions.

These traditional festivals will leave unforgettable memories and will bring you closer to the local culture, like the magical events by Salude & Trigu designed to explore Sassari and its surroundings out of the schemes of mainstream tourism.

You could visit some of the most beautiful beaches in North Sardinia and find your moments of serenity and relaxation, that should never be missing in a holiday. Enjoy the best of summer in Sardinia and let yourself be won over by sardinian hospitality, taste the authentic flavours of the local cuisine and take a piece of this fascinating land with you.

Sassari awaits you with its thousand faces, ready to give you an experience rich in emotions, culture and natural beauty.

What is the March of Candelieri in Sassari?

The March of Candelieri is a traditional festival held in Sassari, Sardinia, on August 14 every year. It is a deeply heartfelt and spectacular religious parade, in which large wooden votive machines, known as candelieri (or candareri), are carried on the shoulders through the town streets in honor of Holy Mary. The festival has ancient roots and commemorates the end of a plague following a spiritual vow made by the population to Mary. It is an event of great cultural and religious importance, declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.

Which is the heaviest candeliere in Sassari?

The heaviest candeliere in Sassari is the one carried in procession by the Greengrocers Gremio, weighing 251 kg without poles and 291 kg with poles, fully decorated.

What is the order of descent of Candelieri?

The order of descent of Candelieri of Sassari follows a well-established tradition, based on the seniority of the Gremios in terms of participation in the parade. The order is:

1. Blacksmiths Gremio

2. Bricklayers Gremio

3. Farmers Gremio

4. Carpenters Gremio

5. Greengrocers Gremio

6. Stonemasons Gremio

7. Travelers Gremio

8. Tailors Gremio

9. Shoemakers Gremio

10. Sharecroppers Gremio

What is the time for the March of Candelieri in Sassari?

On the morning of August 14 Candelieri are decorated and prepared for the procession. The Faradda itself begins around 6:00 PM and continues throughout the evening, passing through the squares and streets of the entire centre of Sassari.

What does Faradda mean?

"Faradda" is a term in the Sassari dialect that literally means "descent", but beyond its literal meaning everyone in Sassari associates this term solely with the March of Candelieri on August 14th.