The Two Madonnas: The Politics of Festival in a Sardinian Community

Now updated, this former Chicago Folklore Prize winner is a major contribution to our understanding of the roles that festivals play in European village life. Portrayed by early travel writers as ancient pagan survivals, festivals in Sardinia have long fascinated both native islanders and outsiders. But at the dawn of the twenty-first century, this Mediterranean island has become part of a global economy, and its festivals attract tourists from around the world. This detailed ethnography explores the effects of globalization on two Sardinian festivals over the course of the twentieth century, reflecting the double pull of tradition and modernity on the popular imagination and their sometimes devastating effects on local cultures. It vividly and insightfully describes the continuing struggles of community members to shape and control these important expressions of local identity, as they strive to create a space for themselves in the margins of Europe.