There is a place in Sardinia where time has stood still.

But the places continue to tell the story of Sardinia in a whisper; a story of strength, of tradition, of abandoned villages that revive only during pagan rituals, of old ruins that look toward the horizon, and of towers scattered between two seas. New “artisans” give voice to the island; some by keeping ancient crafts alive, some by drawing inspiration from tradition to give life to new stylistic concepts.

Antonio and Adriana’s folk elopement is portrayed as a free-for-all through the narrow streets of an almost ghost town, which comes alive only on the feast day of St. Salvatore, on which devotees carry the simulacrum of the Saint back to his shrine barefoot in the “barefoot race.”
The two loved ones meet at dawn for an intimate breakfast in the village’s main street, exchanging their promise of love for each other.

We rediscover ancient traditions such as the getting ready of the bride, which is transformed into a delicate and private exchange between the bride and groom, through jewelry and filigree, amulets and dresses that reinterpret the past in a contemporary way.
As a petticoat, the first dress recalls the Sardinian shawl, typically known for its long, light bangs. The formal dress, on the other hand, is enriched with lace and fine weaves. The Sardinian man also marries tradition with modernity, taking the suit out of folklore and restoring its dignity and charm through a new sartorial connotation, from velvet and orbace fabrics to unusual details such as “leggings.”

The exchange of gifts enshrines the promise of marriage, in which the jewel becomes a symbol of the covenant and bond. It is in the tradition that the fiancé gives it to the bride-to-be, to invoke her grace and to exorcise the forces of evil;

[In the past, in fact, jewelry had many meanings and Sardinian women kept and handed them down from generation to generation as sacred and precious objects. To find the most secret meaning of Sardinian jewelry (prendas) one must go back to the origins of the myth that tells of fairies who, in their enchanted homes (Domus de Janas), wove threads of gold and silver. In ancient times, jewelry in fact had the function of a medium between man and the gods].

Baskets, embroidery, carpets, furnishings and wild flowers frame a breathtaking scenery that alone is worth the trip; on the promontory of San Giovanni di Sinis Antonio and Adriana promise each other eternal love.
This journey ends at the foot of the columns of Tharros, built over the ruins of a place that housed, in ancient times, one of the very first nuragic villages of the Bronze Age.

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A folk elopement in Sardinia directed by Silvia Mocci for @elisa_mocci_events

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