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Il Presepe (the
Nativity)
The tradition of the Christmas crib (presepe or presepio) is thought to have originated in 1223 when Saint Francis set up a representation of the Nativity of Jesus in the small town of Greccio, in the hills above Rieti. A fifteenth-century fresco depicting this historic event "La Notte di Greccio" (the Night of Greccio) can still be seen in the Convento di Greccio (Rieti) -Coaches to Rieti leave from Tiburtina Station, on Metro line B.
Domenicans, and later the Jesuits, followed Francis' example and soon these Nativity scenes became an important part of the Italian Christmas.
Cribs in all shapes and forms were made. One of the oldest and certainly one of the most venerated of these is in the Oratory of the Presepio nowadays beneath the other Sistine Chapel in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. This marble scene depicting the arrival of the Magi at the stable in Bethlehem was carved by Arnolfo di Cambio c.1280.
Unfortunately when Pope Sixtus V commissioned Domenico Fontana to build his funerary chapel (which forms the right-hand transept of the Basilica) he also ordered him to transfer the oratory to a new site beneath it. Despite Fontana's elaborate preparations the result was a disaster. Having enclosed the entire Oratory in a wooden scaffolding for the move it collapsed. The mosaic ceiling and marble pavement were reduced to fragments. Only the walls, the altar, and some of the figures were saved. These now stand in a dark subterranean grotto beneath the Sistine Chapel (in the Basilica of S.M.Maggiore - not the most famous one in the Vatican.) The gates at the top of the stairs are usually kept locked but during Christmas time it will be open to the public.
Unfortunately the fragile materials used to model many of the early cribs (wood and terracotta) has prevented their preservation. At the beginning of 16th century Saint Gaetano of Thiene added a new element to the tradition by introducing additional figures into the scene. These cribs from the 17th and 18th century are among the most famous. In this period crib making flourished in Rome (Santa Maria in Aracoeli), Genova, Sicily and particularly in Naples where the cribs in the Museum of San Martino are certainly worth a visit. These Neapolitan cribs have become famous for the accuracy of their details of everyday life and for the variety of characters that crowd the scene. Some of the antique cribs can be seen at the annual exibition in Piazza del Popolo (see below).
La Befana
In a little village high atop a hill, in Via della Padella number 2 to be precise, an old lady, part fairy part witch, passes the entire year in company with her grotesque assistants (the Befanucci) preparing coal, making sweets and toys and darning old stockings and socks. These are all to be distributed to children on Rome's magical night of nights, between the 5th and 6th of January.
This seems the longest night of all. Every child is in awe of 'La Befana' a sentiment tinged with love and fear. Dressed in black and huge, she comes, entering the houses down the chimney to leave her presents for the children: coal for the bad boys and girlsand sweets and candies for the good ones.
The children prepare a plate of soft ricotta cheese for her, for everyone knows that she doesn't have many good teeth left.
In origin this character is even older than Babbo Natale (Father Christmas or Santa Claus).
Her festival has usurped an ancient pagan feast set celebrated on the Magic Night, the 6th day of the New Year, chosen by ancient Eastern astronomers according to their complicated calculations.
Epiphany was, therefore, pagan in origin. Only later was the day associated with the life of Christ.
So strong was the remembrance of things past that two other events in Jesus' life were calculated to have taken place on this day: His Baptism and the Wedding at Cana. Indeed until the forth century Christmas itself was celebrated on 6 January.
Until the end of last century La Befana could be found in Piazza Sant'Eustachio or in Piazza dei Cappellari where the annual Christmas fair with cribs and toys took place. Then because of the fashion for crinolins and large hooped skirts the fair was moved to Piazza Navona (where it is still today) taking the place of the four hundread years old spices market which had to be moved over to Campo
de'Fiori.
THE ANNUAL EXIBITION OF THE 100 CHRISTMAS CRIBS
Beside the fun of decorating the Christmas tree, in many Italian families there is another task for the children: to set up the Christmas crib.
Up in the attic next to the box containing the tree decorations there is often another dusty old box containing small statues safely wrapped in a tangle of straw.
These little figures made of chalk or terracotta come to life every Christmas to represent Christ's nativity. As tradition demands, the three Kings advance towards the stable as the nativity approaches, while Joseph and Mary await the happy event beside empty manger in which the little figure of baby Jesus will be placed on Christmas eve.
Sometimes it happens that a shepherd looses his head or Joseph looses an arm or one of the sheeps' legs become broken. In this case the figure needs a little repair or, if irrimediable, a new one may have to be bought!
Let's go out then to find a new Joseph for our Crib!
In December Piazza Navona is filled with the booths of the annual Christmas fair. Although the commercial aspect has destroyed much of the romanticism of yester year, you can still find a new Joseph for your crib together with all the other characters and the straw to set the scene.
Of course, buying the pieces is not the only way of making a crib. Many people in fact, have made crib making into an art form. Just lije my grand-father who used to create a new crib each year from papier maché, for his own amusement and to the continual amazement and delight of his grandchildren!
For those of you who enjoy this magical world there is the annual Christmas Crib Exhibition (this year it celebrates its 20th birthday). The idea came from a certain Mr Menaglia who obviously shared my grandfather's enthusiasm for crib making.
There will be over 220 Cribs on show, not only from Italy and from the world over! Some of these recreate entire villages and their inhabitants. There are mechanical cribs and cribs made from a large variety of raw materials such as bread, coffee, soap, wood, nails, stones, straw, coral, newspaper, mother-of-pearl, etc.,...
The exhibition will be in the Sale del Bramante and will last till 7 January
7th.
Other cribs can be found in churches across the City as each has its own. One of the most famous can be found inside SS Cosma e Damiano (on Via dei Fori
Imperiali).
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