year the statue was inaugurated
126th EDITION · NUORO
Feast of the
Redeemer
22-29AUGUST 2026
Faith, traditional dress, horses, masks and culture in the heart of Sardinia, culminating in the pilgrimage to Monte Ortobene.
NUORO22-29 August 2026
TRADITION126th edition
CULMINATION29 August · Monte Ortobene
A STORY THAT CLIMBS ORTOBENE
From the Jubilee of 1900 to one of Sardinia’s great identity festivals
The Feast of the Redeemer has its roots in the Jubilee of 1900, when Pope Leo XIII called for monuments dedicated to Christ the Redeemer to be raised in several Italian locations. In Sardinia, Monte Ortobene, the mountain closest to the people of Nuoro, was chosen.
The bronze statue was created by sculptor Vincenzo Jerace. About seven metres high and weighing eighteen quintals, it was placed on the summit of Ortobene and inaugurated on 29 August 1901 before more than ten thousand faithful. Grazia Deledda, then a young writer from Nuoro, also contributed to the fundraising effort.
Over time, the religious dimension has been joined by a major celebration of Sardinian culture: traditional dress, choirs, tenores, horse riders and masks. The feast therefore retains a dual popular and spiritual character, culminating in the 29 August pilgrimage from Santa Maria della Neve Cathedral to Monte Ortobene.
Go to the main days →
approximate height of the monument
weight of the bronze statue
faithful at the inauguration
THE HEART OF THE REDEEMER 2026
Three key days in the city and on Ortobene
SATURDAY22AUGUST
18:00
The rites of su carrasecàre
Parade of the traditional masks of the province of Nuoro.
Dressing: piazza Sardegna and viale Sardegna. Route: piazza Sardegna, via Lamarmora, Corso Garibaldi, piazza Mazzini, piazza Vittorio Emanuele.
Masks and participating groups
Austis - Sos ColonganosFonni - s'Urtzu e sos ButtudosGavoi - Sos TumbarinosLodine - Maimone 'e Carrasecare su ziomoMamoiada - Mamuthones e IssohadoresOlzai - Sos Maimones, Murronarzos e IntintosOrani - Su BundhuOttana - Merdules e BoesSarule - Maschera a gattu e su MaimoneSiniscola - Sos TintinnatosSorgono - Is Arestes e s'Urtzu PretistuTeti - Su Sennoreddu e s'Iscusorzu
19:00 Travelling music with accordion players from Nuoro · Piazza Vittorio Emanuele.
22:00 “Io mi racconto”, recital by Piero Marras, piano and voice · Piazza Vittorio Emanuele.
SUNDAY23AUGUST
10:00
Traditional dress parade of Sardinia
Folk groups and polyphonic choirs cross central Nuoro in one of the most anticipated moments of the feast.
Route: Santa Maria della Neve Cathedral, via Efisio Tola, piazza San Giovanni, via Roma, via Dante, via Deffenu, via Ciusa Romagna, via Lamarmora, Corso Garibaldi, via Monsignor Bua and return to Santa Maria della Neve.
Communities announced for the parade
AritzoBari SardoBenetuttiBittiBolotanaBonoBurgosCabrasCagliariCossoineDesuloDolianovaDorgaliGavoiGesturiGhilarzaIglesiasIttiriLulaMamoiadaMaracalagonisNuxisOlbiaOlienaOllolaiOniferiOraniOrgosoloOristanoOroseiOsiloOssiPaulilatinoPloaghePutifigariQuartu Sant'ElenaSant'AntiocoSarrochSaruleSassariSelargiusSenegheSennoriSerramannaSestuSilanusSiniscolaSinnaiTonaraTeuladaThiesiTuiliUriUrzulei
12:00 Parade of horse riders, departing from Piazza Italia.
13:00 Solemn blessing in the Cathedral.
18:00 Regional Folklore Festival · Piazza Vittorio Emanuele.
SATURDAY29AUGUST
06:00
Religious pilgrimage
From Santa Maria della Neve Cathedral to Monte Ortobene, on the day that brings the feast back to its origins.
The rite starts at the Cathedral and reaches the Statue of the Redeemer on Monte Ortobene.
11:00 Solemn celebration of Holy Mass, officiated by the Bishop of the Diocese of Nuoro and accompanied by Nuoro choirs. Religious procession in Monte Ortobene Park.
BEYOND THE PARADES
Redeemer week
Music, poetry, cinema and culture accompany Nuoro until 29 August, with events connecting tradition and contemporary languages.
“Sa gara” - Cantu a chiterra
Gian Daniele Calbini, Gianni Denanni, Daniele Giallara and Tino Bazzoni, with Nino Manca on guitar and Davide Caddeo on accordion. Piazza Sebastiano Satta.
Moses Concas & Band
Concert in Piazza Sebastiano Satta.
“A Bolu” - Improvised poetry
Traditional poetry competition with Bruno Agus, Dionigi Bitti and Giuseppe Porcu, accompanied by Tenore Picottu de Nùgoro. Piazza Sebastiano Satta.
“Love and Glory - The Young Deledda”
Film screening in the park area of the Church of Solitude.
AROUND THE CITY
Side events, exhibitions and culture across the city
Monte Ortobene. Rifugio climatico naturale
Spazio Ilisso
Screening of the documentary “Ammentos de su Ortobene” by Domenico Ruiu.
Oltre l'abito 2026
Museum of Sardinian Life and Folk Traditions
Dress, identity and cultural heritage between Sardinia and Brittany.
Mattia Bruce designer Redentore 2026
Piazza Crispi
Art exhibition dedicated to the 2026 edition.
Dae S'Iscuru a sa Luche
Teatro Eliseo
Musical and theatrical performance of the Passion of Jesus Christ.
Vincenzo Jerace: stories and curiosities
Statue of the Redeemer - Monte Ortobene
Meeting dedicated to the sculptor who created the monument.
In the places of Grazia Deledda
From the Solitudine Church to the Satta Library
Travelling final concert of Nuoro Jazz with teachers and students.
Ortoben Fest
Monte Ortobene Park
The mountain festival.
Nuoro tra Folk & Rock
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele
Second edition of the event connecting tradition and contemporary music.
GETTING AROUND NUORO
Festival routes on Google Maps
Select a day to view the route. The routes follow the streets listed in the official 2026 programme.
GOOGLE MAPSEnable the interactive map
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VIDEO ARCHIVE
The Redeemer in previous editions
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NOW PLAYINGFeast of the Redeemer - Video playlist
VISUAL MEMORY
Faces, dress and communities
EXPERIENCE THE CITY
Nuoro beyond the parade
The Redeemer festival is also an opportunity to discover the city of Grazia Deledda, its museums and Ortobene. The stops shown in the programme and official map form a cultural itinerary that is easy to explore from the city centre.
Grazia Deledda House Museum
The birthplace of the Nuoro writer, now a museum dedicated to her life and work.
MAN - Art Museum
One of Sardinia’s leading centres for modern and contemporary art.
Museum of Sardinian Life and Folk Traditions
Traditional dress, jewellery, rituals and material culture of the island in a major ethnographic collection.
Spazio Ilisso
Sculpture, photography and twentieth-century Sardinian culture in the heart of Nuoro.
Giorgio Asproni National Archaeological Museum
Archaeological evidence from the Nuoro area, from prehistory to the historical age.
Monte Ortobene
Nuoro’s mountain, symbol of the festival and destination of the 29 August pilgrimage.
22-29 AUGUST 2026