Italian News

Nativity Scenes Return to Caltagirone

By Dr. Alberto Lunetta, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs

Nativity scenes' displays are at the heart of the Sicilian Christmas' celebrations. Caltagirone boasts a centuries-old tradition featuring hundreds of pottery Nativity Scenes on display in historic buildings and churches.

Giuseppe Stimolo

After a year of preparation, Presepi (Nativity scenes) will once again be showcased in the churches and baroque buildings of Caltagirone’s historic center to celebrate the Christmas season.

One of the eight towns in south-eastern Sicily that have been listed among the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Val di Noto, Caltagirone has been the hub of artistic pottery-making industry for centuries. All eight hilltop towns were rebuilt after the devastating 1693 earthquake and, according to the cultural agency of the United Nations, represent “a considerable collective undertaking, successfully carried out at a high level of architectural and artistic achievement.”

One of Caltagirone’s artistic achievements is Presepi. Historically, Presepi were used as a beautiful and educational way to teach the story of Christ’s birth to devotees. A display of faith and creativity, these scenes tell the story of the mystery of Jesus’ incarnation and have become, over the centuries, a true form of art.

The Presepi’s decorated figurines, which are carved from wood or shaped from ceramic, wax, paper-mâché, resin, clay, and other materials, are traditionally set up in almost every Sicilian house. Today, this Christmas tradition is one of the most heartfelt celebrations in Sicily.

Representations of Nativity date back to the Middle Ages. According to tradition, Saint Francis of Assisi was the first to set up a Nativity scene in 1223. His version, displayed on Christmas Eve in the hills surrounding the central Italian town of Greggio, included the use of live animals.

Here in Sicily, four major centers boast a tradition of hand crafted nativity scenes: Palermo, Siracusa, Trapani and Caltagirone.

In Palermo and Siracusa, where beekeeping is widespread, wax has been used since the 17th century to mold the figurines depicting infant Jesus called Bambinelli. Between the 17th and the 18th century, the area surrounding the church of San Domenico in Palermo was home to many Bambinai (craftsmen who shaped these figurines) and their shops. Wax sculptor Gaetano Zumbo is among the most famous 17th century craftsmen. He carved an amazing Nativity scene that is on permanent display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. These Bambinelli are usually enriched with silver or gilded accessories and often depicted holding a cross.

In Siracusa specifically, the 18th century Cerari (wax workers) represented infant Jesus with a joyful or a sleeping expression and holding a lamb, a flower or a fruit. These figures are placed inside Scarabattole (glass caskets).

In Trapani, craftsmen shape figurines with valuable materials such as coral (used alone or mixed with ivory), alabaster, shells, ivory and mother-of-pearl. Breathtaking examples of these Nativity scenes are exhibited at the Pepoli Museum in Trapani and Cordici Museum in Erice.

Caltagirone boasts a world-renowned tradition, dating back to the 17th century, of Nativity scenes are made with large clay or wood figurines set on a painted background representing country life scenes.

In the 18th century, Nativity scenes became popular in everyday houses. Families used to compete among each other for the most beautiful display, inviting friends and even people passing by to their home to evaluate the best Nativity scene These scenes typically depicted the rural world, with characters such as sleeping shepherds, pipers, ricotta sellers, hunters and more.

According to tradition, children used to collect a little money every month in order to buy little clay figurines to decorate their Nativity scenes. Pasturari and Santari (craftsmen artisans that used to make shepherd or saint shaped clay statuettes) would sell these magnificently carved figurines during fairs or inside their workshops. Convents and churches also commissioned these craftsmen to create figurines imitating the ones depicted in famous holy paintings.

Today, more than 100 craftsman workshops in Caltagirone keep the tradition alive.

Hundreds of Nativity scenes will be set up in historic buildings and in the major churches (Cathedral, Basilica of St. Giorgio, Basilica of Santa Maria del Monte, Church of St. Giuseppe, Church of St. Pietro) and historic buildings. Almost all of these exhibitions require a fee to be admitted. Visitors will also be required to show their Green Pass or CDC card as proof of vaccination.

For more information on the displays and other events, visit the Tourist Office (Ufficio Turistico Unificato) located in # 15 Via Duomo in Caltagirone (Sicilia), e-mail them at servizio-informazionituristiche@comune. caltagirone.ct.it , or call them at: +39 0933.490836.