In Tortolì, between the third Sunday of August and the second Sunday of September every year they celebrate the Is Festas de Sartu, the country feast days; in honour of the saints that the three country churches of San Lussorio (the third Sunday in August), San Gemiliano (last Sunday of August or first Sunday in September) and SS. Salvatore (second Sunday in September) are dedicated to.

A committee handling the sa gicca, that is collecting the funds needed for the celebrations and to organise both the religious and civil ones, is elected for each of the three festivals.

The three festivals are united by the ancient ritual of s’imbidu, passed down from generation to generation and performed on the Friday evening in the historical centre of Tortoli, in the square of the church dedicated to Sant’Andrea. It is a real public auction, during which the highest bidder wins the yoke of wood (su giuali) used to yoke the oxen pulling the cart bearing the saint's statue. The winner, s’imbidadori, will have the honour of transporting the statue to the little country church (figs. 1-2).

Fig. 1 - The casket with the relics and the statue of S. Lussorio (photo by the Committee of San Lussorio martyr).

Fig. 2 - The statue of S. Gemiliano (photo by Unicity S.p.A.).

During the s’imbidu fo the SS. Salvatore, in addition to the yoke, you can win the honour or carrying the small statue of Santu Sarbadoreddu (The Chid Jesus, fig. 3) in the procession.

Fig. 3 - The small statue of the Child Jesus-Santu Sarbadoreddu (from http://www.parrocchiasantandreatortoli.org/comitati/ss-salvatore/).

This special ritual, of Spanish origin, is only found in Tortoli in Sardinia.

On Saturday afternoon, after preparing the cart and with the oxen yoked, the procession starts from the church of Sant’Andrea and transports the saint's statue to the country church dedicated to it (figs. 4-5-6). Here, after the church service and the singing of goccius (praise narrating the saint's life), people celebrate with traditional songs and dances. On Sunday afternoon, the saint's statute is returned to the church of S. Andrea in a procession.

Fig. 4 - The cart with the statue of S. Lussorio (photo by the Committee of San Lussorio martyr).

Fig. 5 - Riders accompanying the statue of S. Lussorio (photo by the Committee of San Lussorio martyr).

Fig. 6 - The oxen's yoke (from http://www.sardegnadigitallibrary.it/index.php?xsl=615&s=17&v=9&c=4461&id=100757).