Sartizza Sausage Festival in Siligo 2026

On Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December 2026 Siligo, a small village in the Meilogu area of northern Sardinia, devotes two days to sartizza, the island’s traditional sausage. The Sagra della Sartizza brings tastings, music and local produce together in a true village-festival atmosphere, right at the start of the season when, traditionally, families cure their pork.

A sagra, if you’ve never been to one, is a typically Italian village food festival built around one local speciality – informal, friendly and run by the community itself. It’s a great way to taste real Sardinian food and explore one of the north’s most history-rich landscapes on the same trip.

Sartizza: the story of a farmhouse tradition

In Sardinian, sartizza (or saltitza, depending on the area) means homemade pork sausage. For centuries, killing the family pig in the cold months was a small collective event: relatives and neighbours gathered to work the meat and lay in supplies for the year. That’s how sartizza was born – pork cut by hand or coarsely minced, seasoned with salt, pepper and wild fennel seeds, sometimes with a little garlic or wine.

It’s eaten fresh, grilled over embers or cooked in sauces, or cured, hung to dry in a cool, airy place until firm and fragrant. Every family has its own recipe, and comparing different versions is half the fun. The Siligo festival, run by the local community and Pro Loco (the village tourism association), celebrates exactly this home-grown know-how.

What happens at the Siligo sausage festival

Over the two days the village comes alive with:

• sartizza tastings, both fresh off the grill and cured, with local bread and wine;
• music and festivities in the streets and squares;
• stalls of local produce – cured meats, cheese from the area’s shepherds, sweets and other Meilogu specialities.

The detailed programme and times are published by the organisers and the Comune di Siligo shortly before the event, and can change from year to year, so check before setting off.

What to eat and what to take home

Sartizza is the star: if you like it, ask whether you can buy some cured sausage to take home – it keeps well and travels easily. Alongside it, the Meilogu offers:

• sheep’s cheese, fresh and aged, from a shepherding culture that’s still very much alive;
• traditional bread from wood-fired ovens;
• Sardinian sweets made with almonds, honey and sapa (cooked grape must);
• wine from northern Sardinian cellars, perfect with grilled meat.

December is also the start of Christmas-sweet season, so it’s a good time to stock up on edible gifts.

Things to see in Siligo and nearby

Siligo has just over 700 inhabitants, but its volcanic landscape is striking. Above it rises Monte Santo (733 m), a flat-topped mesa crowned by the church of Santi Elia ed Enoch, linked to the Benedictine monks of Montecassino, who received land here from the medieval ruler Barisone I of Torres in the 11th century. The view from the top sweeps across much of the Logudoro region.

Just outside the village is the Mesumundu archaeological park with the church of Nostra Signora di Mesumundu: a rare Byzantine-era building put up around the end of the 6th century over the remains of Roman baths, and altered in the Middle Ages. It’s one of Sardinia’s oldest and most unusual monuments.

Siligo is also the birthplace of Maria Carta, the great singer who carried Sardinian music to the world; the village has a foundation and museum in her honour. Stargazers will find an observatory on Monte Santo and a planetarium in the village.

A short drive away:

• the Basilica of Saccargia at Codrongianos, a black-and-white striped jewel of Sardinian Romanesque;
• the Valley of the Nuraghi, with the mighty Nuraghe Santu Antine at Torralba – nuraghi are the Bronze Age stone towers found only in Sardinia;
• many more nuraghi scattered across Siligo’s own countryside.

Getting to Siligo and practical tips

• By car: Siligo is close to the SS131, the highway that crosses Sardinia. From Sassari it takes about 35–40 minutes. A car is really the only practical option.
• From the airports: about 1 hour from Alghero, about 1 and a half hours from Olbia, about 2 and a half hours from Cagliari.
• From the ports: about 50 minutes from Porto Torres, about 1 and a half hours from Olbia.
• When to arrive: it’s a weekend festival; come for lunch or early afternoon to taste everything at your own pace.
• What to wear: December evenings in the Meilogu are cold – bring a warm coat and comfy shoes.
• Cash: bring some, as not every stall may take cards.
• Where to stay: there are agriturismi (farm stays) and B&Bs nearby, or base yourself in Sassari.

FAQ: Sagra della Sartizza in Siligo

When is the Sartizza festival in Siligo in 2026?

On Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December 2026.

What is sartizza?

Traditional Sardinian pork sausage, seasoned with salt, pepper and wild fennel, eaten fresh off the grill or cured.

Where is Siligo?

In the Meilogu, province of Sassari, below Monte Santo and near the SS131 highway, about 35–40 minutes’ drive from Sassari.

What is there to see near Siligo?

The Byzantine church of Nostra Signora di Mesumundu, Monte Santo, the Maria Carta museum, the Saccargia basilica and Nuraghe Santu Antine.