At sea and on land, one trusts in God. Life's greatest dangers — the storm at sea, the landslide in the mountains — lie beyond human control, and faith is the only anchor. The proverb reflects the deep religious devotion woven through Sardinian daily life.
Sardinian fishermen along the coasts of Alghero, Carloforte, and the Sulcis have always faced treacherous waters in the Tyrrhenian and Mediterranean seas. The island's coastline stretches nearly 1,800 kilometers, and generations of men went to sea in small wooden boats with no guarantee of return. The Phoenicians who founded Cagliari and Nora understood the sea's power and propitiated their gods before every voyage. Under Spanish rule, the deep Catholic faith of Sardinia was reinforced by centuries of religious festivals, the famous 'sagre' and processions that still draw thousands today. When the sea turned violent, there was nothing a fisherman could do but pray. On land, the shepherds of the Gennargentu mountains faced wolves, bandits, and sudden storms. This dual exposure to mortal danger made faith not a comfort but a practical necessity — the last resource when human skill ran out.
Widespread along the Sardinian coasts and in the highland villages alike, reflecting the twin dangers of sea and mountain that have defined island life since antiquity. The Phoenician navigators who first charted Sardinian waters also performed religious rites before sailing, a tradition that passed through Roman, Byzantine, and Spanish religious culture into modern Catholicism.
A fisherman blessing his boat before a winter voyage
Tiriamo le reti e partiamo — a mare a terra, a Deus si fide, come insegnava mio nonno.
We cast the nets and set off — at sea and on land, one trusts in God, as my grandfather taught.
A shepherd caught in a sudden storm on the Gennargentu
Quando il temporale arrivò senza preavviso, non restava altro che ricordare: a mare a terra, a Deus si fide.
When the storm came without warning, nothing remained but to remember: at sea and on land, one trusts in God.
A priest comforting a family before surgery
I medici faranno tutto il possibile — e poi, a mare a terra, a Deus si fide.
The doctors will do everything possible — and then, at sea and on land, one trusts in God.
An elderly Sardinian woman speaking about life's uncertainties
Ho attraversato due guerre e tanta miseria. A mare a terra, a Deus si fide — è quello che mi ha tenuto in piedi.
I lived through two wars and great hardship. At sea and on land, one trusts in God — that is what kept me going.