Sant’Andrea Frius: nature, traditions and good cuisine

Round hills with thick almonds trees, olive trees, vineyards, orchards rich in the typical aromas of the Mediterranean maquis. This could be a valid snapshot of the territory of Sant’Andrea Frius, graceful centre situated in a strategic position among Trexenta, Gerrei and Campidano. 
The hills characterize the territory of this village. They can reach the height of 650 meters and are covered in a very variegated nature in all its aspects. Great part of it is characterized by bush vegetation and Mediterranean maquis: oaks, myrtle, oleander, fig-tree, cistus, strawberry tree, asphodel and lavender that frame the entire territory. The country, that counts approximately 1870 inhabitants, has a long history that began back in the period of the Punic domination. After a period of oblivion begun towards the second half of the XIV century, Sant' Andrea Frius became repopulated thanks to the arrival of inhabitants coming from Nuraminis and Villagreca.

Today it is a centre whose economy, apart from agriculture and farming, is characterized by handicraft, commerce, private or dependent workers. Sant’Andrea Frius boasts a renown culinary tradition: the cuisine of Sant' Andrea Frius offers simple but tasty dishes like malloreddus, the traditional dish of the Sardinians, ravioli with ricotta, the classic roast piglet aromatized with myrtle, the lamb with eggs and lemon. Even today some families bake the pistoccu and civraxiu bread in the wood-fired oven. Cakes like pardulas, piricchitus and gattou are the worthy crowning of lavish a meal, washed down with a famous dessert wine called fattu e craccau, obtained from best separately fermented must. Wines are generally produced by the same cultivators. Worthy of interest are also the festivities that characterize the life of this village: the one of Sant' Andrea apostle, patron of the village, is celebrated at the end of May and at the end of November; the one of Sant' Isidoro, protector of the farmers, only recurs in May.


 The processions dedicated to the two saints are characterized by evocative wagon parades richly adorned with work tools and other objects of the agro-pastoral world like hampers, carpets, mats, flowers and ears of grain. The religious rituals are also accompanied by entertainment shows in the public square. Every year, in occasion of the Pentolaccia, on the Sunday following the Ash Wednesday, the Horse Association of the Knights of Saint George organizes an exhibition of horsemen coming from all parts of Sardinia that plunge a sword into a symbolic dragon. The festivity of Saint Peter and Paul is celebrated on June 29th , while the Assumption is celebrated on August 15th . In the last week of August, the local tourist office Frias organizes the Festival of the almond tree, with stands dedicated to the typical products (above all almonds sweets) and to the handicraft activities of the territory.