Where to Find Italy’s Living Nativity Scenes This Christmas

In December, Nativity scenes are a common sight in churches and public spaces throughout Italy. But, in some towns, these scenes are filled with real people dressed in period clothing and, for family travelers, these sites make for popular destinations in the holiday season.

St. Francis of Assisi is believed to have created the first public Nativity scene in 1223 at his hermitage in Greccio, near Assisi. The scene has been recreated each year at his hermitage, and all over Italy towns and cities now create their own versions. The most unusual are populated by real people, known as presepi viventi. In some, entire sections of town become living portrayals of Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago, with ancient crafts and daily activities.

One of the largest is in Bagnolo San Vito, near Mantua, where more than 300 people in period dress recreate a village marketplace alive with merchants and craftsmen that would have been found in Palestine. As afternoon light fades, the events are reenacted: the Annunciation, the Angel’s announcement to Joseph, the birth of Jesus, the arrival of the Magi with gifts and the watching shepherds (Dec. 25, 26 and 29, and Jan. 5,6 and 12). Admission is free.

Near Lecce, in southeastern Italy, the seaside town of Tricase has constructed a permanent mountainside setting for its living Nativity scene. Here, too, the pageant tableau occurs amid a scene of ancient handcraft and trade, which visitors can observe as they follow the mile-long path to the manger scene (Dec. 25, 26, 28 and 29, and Jan. 1, 4, 5 and 6).

While some towns stage their living Nativity scenes only once or twice a year, you’ll find other longer ones in Civita di Bagnoregio, near Viterbo in Tuscany (Dec. 26 and Jan. 1, 6, 7 and 8) and in Vaccheria, near Caserta (Dec. 8, 10, 11 and 26, and Jan. 6 and 8).