LA CORSA DEGLI SCAZI, CABRAS - SARDINIA. ITALY
In Cabras, on the western coast of Sardinia, every year a race with roots in ancient times traverses the landscape.
Hundreds of men, dressed in white tunics tied at their waists, run barefoot, carrying the statue of San Salvatore from the village to his rural sanctuary.
The race has its origins in a time when faith and survival were inseparable. In the early 17th century, facing the threat of coastal raids, the community carried the statue inland, fleeing across the fields and
raising dust to appear stronger and more numerous. What began as an act of protection became a vow, repeated year after year.
Bodies draw closer. Breathing becomes labored, faces tense with tension. Bare feet touch the ground repeatedly, until the group advances as one and the individual dissolves into the movement.
From the outside, the scene may seem disturbing: a dense movement of devout men, dust and toil, and eventually the toil and tears give way to joy, as the rite repeats itself.