This morning, in the Council Hall of the Sassari Chamber of Commerce, the second edition of the Ammajare Festival was presented, scheduled in Siligo from 21 to 24 August 2025. The initiative will open on Thursday 21 August with a preview at the Abbey of San Pietro di Sorres, while the official activities will start the following day.
The name Ammajare, which in Sardinian means “to bewitch”, recalls witch hunts and historical persecutions. At the heart of the story is the figure of Julia Carta, a 16th-century healer accused of heresy, tortured, forced to recant and pushed into marginalization. Her story has become a symbol of injustice and silent resistance. The theme chosen for this edition, “On our skin”, weaves together stories of abuse and discrimination, from the past to the present day.
Present at the conference were the festival’s artistic director, Giampaolo Cassitta, the president of the Intrecci Culturali association Paolo Bellotti, and the mayor of Siligo Giovanni Porcheddu.
The first to speak was Paolo Bellotti, who explained: «We started from the figure of Julia Carta, a woman victim of deep injustices, with the aim of making her story relevant today; so we recovered her historical events and, at the same time, brought them into the present, as living memory and an opportunity to reflect on culture, roots and social difficulties that are still current».
The festival’s artistic director, Giampaolo Cassitta, said that «last year, starting from the story of an unjust detention, we ended up talking about the Inquisition and its legacies, mechanisms and prejudices that still survive today. The trial of Julia Carta, found in Madrid and translated by Tomasino Pinna, when read today, even seems grotesque: the accusation claimed that the only way was to confess to being a witch. And even today – he adds – a woman is told: “You’re a witch”. Our task is to shed light on the fact that witches never existed».
Among the books presented are Sardinian healers between medicine, magic and the Inquisition by Rita Nappi; the historical novel Julia, the witch of Siligo by Antonietta Uras; The untamed knight, the account of a Fascist persecution dedicated to Emilio Lussu, told by Gianluca Medas; Annile, written by Edoardo Mantega and set in the Montiferru woods; The wrong body by Francesca Spanu, which addresses the topic of weight-loss surgery and unresolved issues, Stirred air by Giampaolo Cassitta and Pier Luigi Piredda; and finally the story of Cinzia Seddone told in Like a phoenix: the escape, after 35 years of abuse, from her husband.
The program includes the presentation of seven books, two theatre shows and three concerts, as well as a panel dedicated to Palestine and the presentation of the Carta di S’Aspru.
«The Carta di S’Aspru is a document born two years ago from the will of Catholic and secular associations, united to reaffirm some fundamental principles for peace in the world – Paolo Bellotti specified –. It was signed right in S’Aspru, thanks to meetings with schools, public assemblies and open town councils that joined». Preserving peace and fighting injustices and abuses of every era is one of the founding principles behind the idea of Ammajare. Paolo Bellotti explains it well: «From this experience we also created the Peace March, which started from Siligo. The charter still needs to be signed by several institutions before it can be delivered to Assisi, where it will be officially presented to associations. The aim is to open a debate and a discussion on these issues, since peace is one of the founding values of the Intrecci Culturali association».
And, staying on the theme of peace, among the guests of this edition stands out a special councillor: Hiba Alif, Peace Councillor of the Municipality of Ravenna – twenty years old, with several difficulties behind her, including bullying on social media.
Giovanni Porcheddu, mayor of Siligo, closed by telling an anecdote that, if it were not true, could even raise laughter: «In 2010 we tried to dedicate a street to Julia Carta. After 400 years, we didn’t think anyone could still consider her a witch. Yet the historical office of the Ministry, which must approve the naming, did not give the go-ahead because the competent councillor did not sign. Then they asked us this question: “What lesson do we give to kids if we name a street after a witch?”. A question that, frankly, sounds absurd, since she is a woman unjustly persecuted».
The festival is linked to the “Ammajare film Festival” competition, which promotes the short film as an art form to explore the theme of “inquisitions”, understood both as historical persecutions and as mechanisms of contemporary oppression. The 2025 theme, “On our skin”, broadens the reflection on injustices and prejudices suffered by individuals and peoples, celebrating the courage of those who, like Julia Carta, challenged injustice, becoming a symbol of resistance and dignity. The deadline for submitting shorts is 30 September, while the awards ceremony will take place in Siligo on 31 October. The full rules and the detailed program can be viewed on the website: https://www.intrecciculturalisardegna.it/
The festival is organized by the Municipality of Siligo together with Intrecci Culturali, Pro Loco of Siligo, Fondazione Banco di Sardegna, the Sardinia Region and the Sassari Chamber of Commerce, with the collaboration of the cultural association CLIP - Collettivo Letterario Informale Performativo.
Daniela Piras
press officer Ammajare Festival
