Itinerary Details

Sant’Efis itinerary

The cult of Sant’Efis the Martyr is undoubtedly one of the most important and heartfelt for Sardinian people. His festival, which has been held every year at the beginning of May for over three hundred years, is perhaps the one that sees the largest number of people involved among the faithful and tourists.

As many as three of the five municipalities of the Union of the Municipalities of Nora-Bithia are included in its devotional itinerary: Sarroch, Villa San Pietro and Pula. This religious itinerary is one of the longest in Italy (about 60 km) and lasts four days. It all starts from the small church dedicated to the Saint in the historic district of Stampace in Cagliari, where the statue begins its solemn procession. The route can be undertaken together with the thousands of faithful who take part in it, or individually, as in the best-known Camino de Santiago de Compostela.

The route is a short distance from the southern coast of Sardinia and allows one to admire scenery of enchanting beauty among historical and archaeological sites, mountains, lagoons and the sea. After passing La Maddalena beach in the local district of Capoterra, we reach one of the first stops, the spectacular royal residence of Villa d'Orri on the outskirts of Sarroch.

From here, one proceeds towards the centre of the municipality where one encounters a further stop, the 18th-century parish church dedicated to Santa Vittoria. Continuing, we head for Villa San Pietro, a stop introduced “only” in 1943, where the saint stops inside the historic residence of Casa Fadda.

The destination of this journey will be the Romanesque-style church dedicated to Sant’Efis, on the spot where legend sees him martyred in Roman times. Here, a short distance from the place of worship, one can admire the ruins of the archaeological site of Nora, in the municipality of Pula.

Route Type:
on foot

Round-Trip Duration:
60 km

Estimated Duration:
4 days

Map

Multimedia

Discover the Attractions

Villa d’Orri

Villa d'Orri is located on the northern outskirts of the municipality of Sarroch, in a very suggestive and fascinating setting between the sea and the countryside.