L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS well established professional reality, rooted in decades of hard work and sacrifices, which gave the atelier international fame and recognition. On the other, we have young Salvatore Anastasio, who's following that very path right now, in an attempt of transforming his pas- sion into a full time job. Thinking about it, they repre- sent nothing more than two distinct moments on the road to become Presepe-making artists, a road one can walk only when blessed with talent, patience and a lot of determination. The Bottega d'Arte Cantone e Costabile: tradition and commitment to Presepe making since 1960 Maria Costabile and her husband Antonio Cantone, of Bottega d'Arte Cantone e Costabile, answered our que- stions. Thanks to their families, who have been working in the field for decades, the couple truly has arte presepiale in its DNA: "Dedicating our lives to Presepi has been natural for us, because that's what we've breathed day in day out, all year round, at home, since we were children. Our desire is to make of this art a vehicle to show and explain the true meaning of Christmas," they tell us. The ate- lier is a solid reality in the field, an example of reliability and talent and a most certain source of hope for all those who have been trying to pursue same career. Maria and Antonio's atelier has a very special relationship with some of the most important places for both art and spiritua- lity, like Saint Peter's and Assisi's Basilica Superiore, where their works have been exhibited. We asked them what it means for them, as artists, to see their Presepi in such magnifi- cent, significant spots: "In 2013, one of our Presepi was displayed in Piazza San Pietro: it was the first time for a Presepe Napoletano. It happened again in 2017, with a Presepe inspired by the Seven Works of Mercy. Seeing our works — our own expression of spirituality — there, in one of the most spiritual places on Earth, was profoundly moving. During the 2017 exhibi- tion, people from the Vatican told us it had never happened before, in the whole history of Saint Peter's Square, that two Presepi of the same author were chosen. This made us even more proud. "In Rome, we found many people who had a special bond with the art of Presepe, which is such a unique type of art, and share with us a lifetime commit- ment to it. "In Assisi, we experienced a deep, primordial need to repre- sent the birth of Christ. The sim- plicity of those places inspired our Pace in Terra (Peace on Earth) Presepe, which we craf- ted under specific request of Pope Francis." Assisi, and "its" Saint Francis, of course. We cannot speak about Presepe without thinking of the gentle Umbrian hills where Italy's own patron saint preached, lived and created the first Nativity in history. But it's in Naples that the spi- rituality of Saint Francis' Presepe met art. "In the 1700s, Presepe peaked artistically and also from the point of view of its diffusion," Antonio and Maria explain. "It was under Charles III Bourbon's rule that it left churches to finally enter Neapolitan streets and homes. These were the times of the 'Presepe Cortese,' where cha- racters multiplied to include and represent a snapshot of 18th cen- tury Neapolitan society. It was true art, they were made by some of the most important sculptors of the time. And as we are real purists, we are definitely influen- ced by the works of those deca- des." The relevance of tradition in arte presepiale shines through the words of Maria and Antonio: tradition that is at once creative inspiration and a collection of techniques and skills essentials to the modern Presepe artist. This is particularly important when it comes to the making of innovative projects, such as the largest Nativity in the world created this year by the Bottega d'Arte Cantone e Costabile. It is a monumental Presepe: just to give an idea, Saint Joseph is 13ft 80in high, while Mary, who is in a sitting position, is just over 11ft. The work has been made "with the same techniques and materials used in the 18th cen- tury," Maria and Antonio stress. "We had the idea two years ago, and it hasn't been simple to make this Presepe, especially from a technical point of view. We weren't trying to satisfy our ego, when creating this piece. We wanted to bring attention on the importance and the centrality of the family in contemporary society, a society more and more focused on individualism and false myths. This Nativity wants to put us all face to face with the real value and meaning of the family, because we firmly believe it's in the family that solutions to modern society's problems can be found." To conclude, we asked Maria and Antonio what's their opinion about the US and their relation- ship with the art of Presepe. In 2014, one of their creations was displayed in the Knights of Columbus Museum, New Haven, where it is still kept today: "Our American experien- ce was characterized by the kindness and desire to learn our art, which is so distant from American culture, of everyone we met at the Museum. They really all found a place in our heart. Moreover, the fact the Knights of Columbus purchased a large Presepe of ours means we keep on being part of the Museum's life in New Haven, and it renews every year our pre- sence in the US." Maria and Antonio also have a special dream, that involves both the US and Saint Peter's Square: "We'd love to create a third Presepe for Piazza San Pietro. And it'd be amazing if the commission for it came from America." Salvatore Anastasio: a young artist who hopes to tran- sform a passion into a full time activity. In more than a way, Salvatore Anastasio represents what Maria Costabile and her husband Antonio Cantone used to be at the beginning of their career: moved by a love for art and a passion for Presepe rooted in tradition and spirituality, Salvatore learns and creates, hoping to make of his interest a profession really soon. Salvatore explains to us that what attracted him to arte pre- sepiale since he was a child were both its aesthetic and spiritual value, even if he didn't come from a family of Presepe-making artists: "When I was a child, I was mesmerized by the many Presepi people would make around the streets of my village. They used to make one near my home and I used to spend my days looking at the artists at work. I was amazed by how they could create an entire back- ground from such simple mate- rials." Once he was home, young Salvatore would try to "recreate, in my own way, what I had seen. The passion grew up with me. I've been working for years, I am a self-taught artist who as been experimenting new tech- niques." Salvatore's work is all about creativity and passion, the true forces leading his struggle to become a full time artista prese- piale, as he himself explains: "Making Presepi isn't my full time profession just yet, but I try to dedicate to it as much time as I can, so that I can improve. In today's day and age, living off art isn't simple. I work in touri- sm, in the maritime field, but I try to participate to as many exhibitions and conferences on Presepi as I can, because I want people to get to know my work. I really hope to open my own atelier soon." As well explained by Maria and Antonio, the Presepe is not only a religious symbol, but also an essential representation of the idea of family, upon which every society on Earth is foun- ded. But, at least for Christian faithfuls, it remains primarily an image of the Holy Family, as Salvatore explains to us when saying that "Presepe is the arti- stic reproduction of the Birth of Christ. The Holy Family, sur- rounded by the angels and the shepherds remains, in my opi- nion, the most important and essential image of Christmas." For more information on the artists featured in the interview, you can visit their websites: http://www.artepresepiale.it/e n/content/category/1-home http://www.presepinapoleta- nianastasio.it/index.html Continued from page 4 Maria Costabile perfectioning the details of one of her shepherds. Cantone e Costabile's Presepi have been exhibited in Saint Peter's Square twice: they are the only artisti presepiali to have achieved this (Copyright: Bottega d'Arte Cantone e Costabile)

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