There are villages in Lazio that are even more beautiful in winter. Villages that are enchanted during the Christmas festivities. And where the mystery of the Nativity crosses the centuries to be experienced with devotion and respect by believers and visitors alike. From Greccio to Gaeta, from the coast to the hinterland, the whole of Lazio is a treasure trove of nativity scenes to discover in a rich and exciting journey. In Rome, for example, almost every church has one. But it is in St Peter’s Square that the embrace of Bernini’s columns encircles one of the most famous and inclusive Nativity scenes in the world. But don’t limit yourself to the capital, because the whole of Lazio is a land of nativity scenes. A monumental one, with figures four metres high, is the one made after the war by the sculptor Lorenzo Ferri and now housed in the museum dedicated to him in Cave, in the province of Rome, which can be visited all year round. For a plunge into the past, go to Castel San Pietro Romano, on the outskirts of the capital, and discover the living nativity scene set up every year in the evocative ruins of the Colonna fortress.
Greccio, where the first crib was born
It all started in Greccio, a small village in the Rieti area and an essential stop on the Saint Francis Walk. It was here that almost eight hundred years ago the world’s first nativity scene came to life. It was created in 1223 by none other than Francis of Assisi, who, having arrived in Rome for the approval of the Franciscan Rule, asked Honorius III for permission to represent the Nativity. The pope granted him permission and so, once he had returned to Greccio, where he had been living for a few years, he called Giovanni Velita, a wealthy local nobleman friend of his, and told him: “Choose a grotto where you will build a manger and lead an ox and a donkey, and try to reproduce, as far as possible, the grotto of Bethlehem”. These words handed down by Tommaso da Celano tell of the spark that for centuries has fuelled faith, culture and enchantment. Words that every Christmas, since 1972, the inhabitants of Greccio relive through the historical commemoration of the first crib. A unique spectacle in the world, organised down to the smallest detail near the Franciscan sanctuary.
Living crib of Greccio, photo by Massimo Rinaldi
From Bolsena to Vetralla, the nativity scenes and Christmas villages in the Viterbo area
Discovering Tuscia at Christmas time means taking a fascinating journey through the history, nature and traditions of the small villages in this corner of Lazio. One of the most evocative spectacles is the living nativity scene in Bolsena, with the medieval quarter around the Monaldeschi castle becoming the setting for scenes of popular life, complete with craftsmen, carpenters and blacksmiths. Also not to be missed are the Nativity re-enactments in Tarquinia, in the heart of the land of the Etruscans, and the one in Corchiano, a true theatrical spectacle set against the backdrop of the Forre Natural Monument. However, the Viterbo area is also a place where the tradition of villages blends perfectly with the sparkling addition of Christmas villages. One of the most popular is the “Caffeina Christmas Village” in Viterbo, where Santa Claus’ games and reindeer go hand in hand with the spectacular nativity scene in the Papal Palace. Finally, it is impossible not to become a child again in the “Kingdom of Father Christmas” on the hills of Vetralla: over 7,000 square metres dedicated to the magic of Christmas, to be visited until late January.
Vetralla
Serrone and Arpino, the re-enactments of Ciociaria
Serrone is a characteristic village with medieval charm at the foot of Monte Scalambra, in the province of Frosinone, which at Christmas is transformed into an open-air nativity scene with hundreds of shepherds, nannies, knife-grinders and cobblers. This is the life-size ethnographic nativity scene that the local associations create with artistic mannequins to tell the story of trades and life in the past. The first edition was organised over twenty years ago with period costumes from Ciociaria. Since then it has become an unmissable Christmas tradition that is renewed year after year thanks to the commitment of volunteers. But you have to go down to Sora to find another village that dresses itself in lights at Christmas. This time we are in Arpino, the birthplace of Cicero. A few seasons ago, the comedians Ficarra and Picone chose the ancient acropolis to shoot some scenes of the film ‘Il primo Natale’. In the film, the parish priest Valentino, played by Picone, is looking for people to interpret his Nativity. But it is not fiction. Because the sets were donated to the town, which uses them for the living nativity scene during Christmas.
Living crib, Arpino
Gaeta and Maenza, the events of lower Lazio
It doesn’t matter whether they are folk re-enactments or art installations. Creative or traditional performances. Each village interprets and enlivens the Christmas tradition in a unique way. The seaside town of Gaeta, in the province of Latina, is cloaked in a fairy-tale atmosphere thanks to “Favole di Luce”, the Christmas illuminations dedicated this year to Dante Alighieri, with images and verses from the Divine Comedy projected onto the Bastion and the Angevin castle. A now traditional event in which the largest ice crib in Italy, created by the Italian Association of Ice Sculptors, has a place of honour. But that’s not all. Maenza, along the Via Francigena del Sud, is also on the list of villages to visit during the festive season. Until 6 January, its baronial castle will host the “Castle of Father Christmas” with its rich calendar of exhibitions, music, shows, creative workshops, Christmas-themed markets and, of course, the inevitable nativity scenes.
Castello Baronale di Maenza
