Sardinia is one of the five ‘blue zones’ of the world, places where people live the longest. We believe the church plays an important part in this.
The reasons for living long are many. Moderate regular physical exercise such as tending one’s garden, olive grove and vineyard, and a low stress life. A healthy diet with many fresh vegetables and a reasonable intake of wine. In addition, there are several interlinking factors such as a purpose in life, and close family and social ties. Festivals and processions organised by the church, sometime in cooperation with the municipality, play an important role in cultivating ties and making life meaningful. These events succeed one another from the beginning of January until early September. Many of these festivals are also holidays. If the festival is specific for a village, the holiday can be merely local. During the important autumn harvesting season there is nothing. Then, on Christmas Eve, midnight mass is held in the Basilica di Santa Maria della Neve in Cuglieri.
Midnight mass begins promptly at 10.30 pm. A large proportion of the village’s population crowd into the church. Prominent families that have made large donations to the church occupy the chapels on each side of the church’s main aisle. In one of them, I recognize the signora from the palazzo. Another one is empty. Could this be the chapel of the mysterious Macchiavelli family? They were the local big shots in Cuglieri in the past. The wonderful house at Piazza Amsicora was built by them in the 1930's. The local butcher has his shop on the same square. I have only once seen some fleeting shadows in the house. Despite its origin during fascism, the house manages to elegantly combine art deco elements with the traditional style of the area. Some things fascism could simply not touch. All that reminds of fascist times is the Mussolini slogan that has remained on one of its walls to this day: “Niente da fare contro il popolo italiano. E capabili di qualsiasi sacrificio.” ‘Nothing can be done against the Italian people. They are capable of any sacrifice’ could hardly have been very popular among most citizens who enjoy life rather more than sacrifices. I asked people what they thought of the slogan. They simply dismissed it as something like so many other things in Cuglieri that have been there for a very long time and were not worth bothering about. There is a live choir that sings beautifully at midnight mass and the local priest presides over the sermon. According to my son Samuel, a basilica is a church that has been designated as a significant church but has no bishop, in which case it would be called a cathedral. Cuglieri became an important centre for the church when the Pope in 1927, through the highest decree, established in Cuglieri the first theological school outside of Rome. It lasted until 1971, when the seminary was moved due ‘political conflicts in the church’ according to bitter comments by some Cuglieritanis today. They had supplied the church with food, builders, weavers, and many other things. Already leached by emigration to Northern Italy and Germany during the fifties and sixties, the closure of the seminary led to a new epoch of decline. Today the population is roughly half of what it was during the first half of them previous century. During the sermon the degree of religious devotion varied. Almost everybody made the sign of the cross. About two thirds prayed, but less than half received communion. When I mentioned to Maria Antonia that I had been to midnight mass she asked me if I was credente, a believer. Despite being a pillar of the church, she had been ill and unable to attend. In all honesty, I had to admit that I was not. I enjoyed going to midnight mass because it was a chance to participate in the life of the community. She merely stated that “everybody believes in something”. I could not argue with that. Towards the end of midnight mass, the priest broke away from the ritual and held an informal speech. He was retiring and wanted to thank the people of Cuglieri for the 15 years that he had been their priest. He said that being a priest in Cuglieri had been a personal challenge for him, but that the faith of the people of Cuglieri had helped in his task. He promised he would still be available at any time as he was only moving to nearby Santa Caterina. Marx is often quoted as saying that ‘religion is the opium of the people’, but that far from sums up his views on religion. What is rarely quoted are his words immediately preceding his statement about opium. He wrote that religion can also be “the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions.” Creating a sense of community is an essential part of that. The Festival of San Lorenzo is one of the festivals we have attended. Held on a sweltering 10th of August, everybody gathers in the nearby country in the shade of tall elegant trees called leccio, a type of oak. We arrived late and all the tables and chairs were taken, so we sat down on the steps of the chapel. Immediately people unknown to us rushed over with chairs and a table that they found somewhere. Like everybody else we received free food cooked by a brigade of volunteers. In addition, people plied us with wine and cake when they realised that we had not understood that one had to bring those oneself. For dessert we ate fantastic torrone, nougat, made on the spot. After the meal, there was a discotheque for the young ones. In the evening typical Sardinian folk songs are sung.
We have also gone in the procession on Easter Sunday. It begins at Chiesa di Santa Croce, the church furthest away from the Basilica and the oldest in Cuglieri. It slowly winds its way upwards towards Santa Maria della Neve, passing most of Cuglieri’s many churches. Candles are lit along the way, and rose petals are strewn on the road creating a wonderful scent. Occasionally groups of men will sing what I was told were ancient songs. At each church new groups of people join. They are led by groups of men in white robes, with different coloured sashes depending upon what church they belong to. These men of all ages are part of a fraternity attached to each church. At some time during their lives, many Cuglieri men participate in these groups. I was asked if I would like to join one group. I felt tempted in order to contribute to the community, but felt that what with being both an atheist and Jewish it would not feel quite honest.