Is Fassõis, or Fassonis, plural of su Fassõi, also known as Fassone (big sheaf) is the name given to an ancient boat which in the past was built by fishermen with lake or marsh bulrush (in sardinian language called su Fenu), which were tied up in big sheaves. Such a boat, presumably dating back to the nuragical epoch (1700-700 B.C.), then used for fishing by Phoenicians, Romans, and local fishermen till 50’s of the last century, shows a particular shape with a cut off stern and a raised stem. Didn’t exist any rudder, any oar exept that a stick or pole (in sadinian language su cantoi or cantoni), long about 3m and composed by 3 big reeds, with which the fisherman touched the depth of the pond to propel himself and, with skilful maestry, point the direction to follow. Such a boats throughout history have, clearly, undergone some aesthetic variations till arrive to the present boats, long 157,48″, larges 35,43″, a “bottom” of 11,81″ and sideboards high 9,84″, with which one can use the common paddles to move upon the water with more facility; but, surely, not on the day of the boat race.
Still today, thanks to the past memory preservation, on the boat race days which occurs on the Pond of Santa Giusta, on the outskirts ofarcheological area of Roman Bridgeone can gaze the racers (in sardinian language is fassoneris) whom compete in a path fixed by piles wood steadily setted up to the depth of the pond and delimited by little common buoys, till reach the finishing line.
After the boat race and the winner prize-giving one passes to a good fishing lunch which shows every typical goodness of the Gulf of Oristano: from the mullets of Cabras and the notorious bottarga (fish eggs) which is extracted by them, to the freshwater eels, roasted octopus, or a mixed seafood roast, squids’ fries, octopus’ salad and so on. The whole accompanied with first-class wine of local production, mostly country.
Such a tradition occurs since 1978 the first Sunday of August, and every year accommodates thousand people between local and tourists. In 2001 the lucky presence of the Peruvian Ambassadress Marcela Lopez Bravo has made arise what already enumerated various studies, about the presence of similar boats in Egypt, Persian Gulf and in Latin America, precisely in Peru, in the countries of Huanchaco and Puno. Still today in this last two countries this kind of boat, there calledcaballitos de tortora– name given by the samemarsh grass – is still used to navigate rivers and fishing. From the inclination to the cooperation between municipality of Santa Giusta and the Ambassadress representing the two countries of Huanchaco and Puno, on the same year, has born the cultural twinning, now testified by a sign put at the entrance of the country town on the road which unites Oristano-Santa Giusta.,
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