No jugglers in front of Sant'Efisio. The 13th edition of the Sa Ruga International Festival once again enlivened Cagliari's Stampace neighborhood, drawing crowds to the neighborhood's alleys and squares. But alongside the participation and the neighborhood's promotion, controversy arose, including inconvenience to residents and the refusal to grant access to the Sant'Efisio square by the Arciconfraternita del Gonfalone , guardian of the cult of the warrior martyr, protagonist of the May Day procession from Cagliari to Nora.
The small square, owned by the Archconfraternity, was not made available for the event. "It was not deemed compatible with our activities," stated Andrea Loi, president of the Archconfraternity . This decision surprised the organizers, especially since in previous years the church had remained open during the festival.
"They kept it closed, denying access to the people of Cagliari who participated in the demonstration and to the faithful who wanted to enter the church during those hours. The church was open in other years; it was a bolt from the blue, without any justification. And it seemed very unfortunate to us: as if Sant'Efisio had been imprisoned once again," says Mirko Ferruccio Ariu, president of Circo Mano a Mano, the company organizing Sa Ruga. "We don't have to answer to them for our management," responds Loi. "The square was closed for other reasons during the demonstration, and so was the little square, but during the day the church was open: Mass was celebrated and we welcomed two tour operators."
The festival drew visitors to various locations in Stampace: from the San Giorgio steps to the widening of Via Portoscalas, between the steps and the Torre degli Alberti, and up to the Sant'Anna steps . It was an opportunity to highlight prized spots in the historic center, often overlooked and far from the most popular routes, but it rekindled discussion about the event's impact on residents' daily lives.
The criticisms mainly concern the noise, which continued until late at night, the pedestrianization and the difficulties related to parking , with the lack of parking that affected the entire neighborhood for three days.
Ariu acknowledges the problem and explains that, ahead of the next edition, the organizers have already sought a discussion with the city administration. " We spoke with the Urban Planning Councilor and the Culture Councilor about the parking issue . The idea is to make the parking spaces of the civilian or military hospitals, which are often empty, available to neighborhood residents. This year, it wasn't possible due to the tight timeframe. They might work on it for next year."
The president of the Mano a Mano Circus also emphasizes that, in his opinion, the protests stem from a minority of the population, which is particularly vocal in the debate, especially on the issue of parking. Ariu believes this is a critical issue that must be addressed, without forgetting that a cultural event of this size can cause some disruption.
We know that ours is a cultural act that creates some discomfort. There's a 10-20% of the neighborhood protesting and having the loudest voice . But rather than collecting signatures to say 'no to Sa Ruga,' it's better to collect them to have parking available 50 meters away.