Two characters from Sardinian folklore feature in a new series of stamps to be issued in Italy on Thursday.
The ancient Sardinian folklore figures Issohadores and Mamuthones are the protagonists of an ancient ritual that takes in January each year in Mamoiada, central Sardinia, which is now a major tourist attraction.
Local people of this mountainous region of Sardinia enact the ancient fertility ritual of the Mamuthones and the Issohadores to exorcise evil spirits and protect the harvest.
There are three other stamps in the new series, each depicting a major tourist attraction from other Italian regions. These include the three peaks of Lavaredo - one of the most spectacular mountain ranges in northern Italy.
The annual series of stamps featuring Italian tourist attractions is now in its 35th year.
