More than ten years have passed since "Sa Paradura," but Gigi Sanna, the soul of Istentales, hasn't forgotten anything. With "Le radici del tempo," the Sardinian ethno-rock band returns to the earthquake zone. "It's not just a tour," he says. "It's a return to a human connection that was born spontaneously between our communities. We want to see where we are with the reconstruction and strengthen a pact of friendship that has never been broken." After the concert in L'Aquila, Istentales—Gigi Sanna, Sandro Canova, Luca Floris, Francesco Caboni, Tonino Maccari, and Francesco Lai—will perform in Cascia today, Friday, October 30th, in Norcia tomorrow, and in Amatrice on Sunday. "The concerts will be free, and we'll be providing the service from Sardinia." The project is being organized with Coldiretti and SEU, with the patronage of the Sardinia Region and the support of the Lazio Region.
The gift. The band will donate four sculptures, one for each city, made of Sardinian granite by sculptor Marco Cabras of Villamar, depicting Nuragic warriors with Grazia Deledda's phrase "We are all brothers" engraved on them . "Granite resists time and the most devastating forces of nature, like those who fight to rebuild," explains Sanna. "Uniting our rock with the mountains of Abruzzo means creating a permanent monument to brotherhood and the will to rise again stronger than before."
Gratitude. The mayors expressed their deep gratitude. Mario De Carolis, mayor of Casci , said: "We are grateful to the Istentales and to Sardinia for this gift, a symbol of brotherhood and closeness between our communities." Giuliano Boccanera, mayor of Norcia , said: "This sculpture will remain in our city to remind us that in the hardest times we were not alone." Giorgio Cortellesi, mayor of Amatrice , said: "A bond born from pain and transformed into friendship. We thank the Istentales for a gesture we will never forget."
The pact. At its core is "Sa Paradura," the ancient shepherds' code: whoever lost their flock received a sheep from each farmer. After the 2009 earthquake, with Coldiretti and the Civil Protection Department, Sardinian shepherds donated around two thousand sheep to Cascia and L'Aquila. "Those farmers had lost everything under the rubble," Sanna recalls. "Since then, our families have hosted each other, with deep respect and affection."
Poetry. Also on stage are poets Stefano Demelas, of the canto a bolu style, and Alessio Runci from Abruzzo, of the ottava rima style, who will improvise on land, memory, and rebirth. "They are two of Italy's oldest oral traditions, born from the pastoral world," Sanna emphasizes. "The languages are different, but the rhythm and emotion speak to everyone. The wounds of history also heal with culture. Between the mountains of Abruzzo, Lazio, and Umbria and the rocks of Sardinia, the same proud blood flows: united in the pain of yesterday, brothers in the rebirth of today and forever."
