Orosei

The historic capital of Baronia, the village of Orosei has medieval origins: for a long time dominated by the Pisans, it was an important anchorage port on the Cedrino River. Symbols of its history are the Chiesa delle Anime (Church of the Souls), founded by the confraternities that are the protagonists of the evocative rites of Holy Week, and the country church of Sant'Antonio Abate where bonfires are lit on 16 January each year for the celebrations dedicated to the saint. But the most characteristic event is the feast in honour of Santa Maria del Mare: on the last Sunday in May, a procession carries the statue of the Madonna from the church to the river, where it is ferried and followed by boats decorated with beautiful floral arrangements, while the rest of the procession continues on foot along the riverbank, ready to welcome the statue with a long applause when it touches down at the end of the procession.