The 57th edition of the Mauritanian Wedding will take place in Santadi on Sunday, August 3rd. This authentic wedding ceremony, celebrated according to the traditions of the Sulcis communities, will be broadcast live starting at 8:30 a.m. on Videolina. In the 1960s, a group of young people from Santadi had the idea of reviving a wedding ceremony based on ancient, now-forgotten rites. This was the basis for the Mauritanian Wedding, known in Sardinian as "Sa Coia Maurreddina." The first edition took place in June 1968. Starting in 1976, to accommodate the return of Santadi emigrants and to attract greater tourism, the event was moved to the first Sunday in August: the date has remained unchanged since then. The wedding liturgy is in both Sardinian and Italian. This year's bride and groom are: Giorgia Balia and Raymond Caria. The celebration will be presided over by the Bishop of Iglesias, Monsignor Mario Farci, with Father Fulvio Sanna, parish priest of Santadi, concelebrating. The event is organized by the Pro Loco (Tourist Information Office) and the Municipality. Before the Mass, a wedding procession will pass through the town's streets, composed of groups in traditional dress, launeddas players, and knights arriving from various parts of the island. Lucia Cossu, an expert in folk traditions, will be in the studio for the live broadcast. Giulia Salis will be in Santadi for the interviews. Massimo Piras and Francesco Lattuca will direct the event.
The video features interviews with the newlyweds Giorgia Balia and Raymond Caria (from the Pro Loco di Santadi Facebook page):