It is in honour of this Saint that
every year the Ardia di Sedilo race is held. This race is in memory of the battle Costantino il
Grande fought and won in 312 at Ponte Milvio (Rome) against the troops of Massenzio.
According to the well known legend, a bright cross with the writing "In Hoc Signo Vinces" (under
this sign you will win) appeared in the sky to Costantino before the start of the battle. The
following year Costantino issued an edict which granted religious freedom to Christians and
also ordered the restitution of confiscated property to their communities. For this reason he is
called the first Christian emperor.
Costantino began the process of spreading Christianity.
He abolished the torture of the
crucifixion in memory of Christ's death. The cross, an instrument of death became the symbol
of salvation.
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He banned the branding of
deportees' foreheads, improved conditions for
illegittimate people, took care of abandoned children, forbade fathers to kill or sell their children
because they could not support them. He started to free people from oppression, protected
families, repressed immorality and reduced the reasons for divorce. During the 25 years of his
reign, he instigated many reforms. As we say nowadays he passed some very relevant social
legislation. However he was guilty of a terrible crime.
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He ordered the death of his wife Fausta
and his son Prisco. Perhaps he was provoked and deceived by his wife, who was Prisco's
stepmother.
Let's go back to the festival. There is no historical evidence
indicating when this festival first took place. We prefer to tell the most
fanciful version, which is undoubtedly far from the historical truth and for this reason is nearest
to the legend.
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It is said that one day, in the XVI
century, a rich land owner from Scano Montiferro, a small village not far from Sedilo, was
captured while he was working in his fields by the Moors who made frequent raids our coasts.
The Moors took the man to Costantinopoli as a slave, and they forced him to work night and day
and when he fell down exhausted, they beat him in order to force him to continue
working.
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