L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016 www.italoamericano.org 15 L'Italo-Americano ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES Christmas. But as most people didn't have the opportunity to vis it Bethlehem thems elves , Francesco needed something to bring the Bible story to life in Italy. His solution was to recre- ate the nativity scene in a cave in Greccio, Lazio. But he didn't just use pictures or carvings; he installed a live ox, a live donkey and a real baby in a manger sur- rounded by straw. And so was born the tradition of a church presepe or crib scene in 1223. Naples and Nativities Fast forward 260 years to the workshop of two Neapolitan artists and brothers Pietro and Giovanni Alemanno. S an F rances co's idea of recreating the nativity scene had taken hold, with the blessing of Pope Honorius III, and within 100 years every church in Italy had followed suit. Gradually statuettes and figurines in elabo- rate staged settings had replaced the live people and animals. And that's where Pietro and Giovanni come in as they're credited with carving the oldest known wood- en nativity still in existence for the Church of San Giovanni a Carbonara in N aples around 1480. Nativity scenes continued to grow in popularity with many Italian cribs exported to Catholic churches around the world and Naples was at the heart of their elaborate production. Indeed Charles VII, crowned King of Naples in 1735, was a huge fan of presepi, collecting many of the elaborate scenes from local artists and inspiring others to do the same. Th e V ia S an Gregorio Armeno Also known locally as Via San Liguori, or Figurine Street, the Via San Gregorio Armeno is one of Naples oldest roads. And its history has long been linked to religion as the church from which the road takes its name is, rather aptly, built over a Roman temple to the deity Cerere who was a Mother Earth figure and goddess of fertility, harvest, and birth. The narrow street is lined on both sides with shops, work- shops and tiny museums all ded- icated to the nativity s cene. Walk down the gently sloping lane and stalls spill out in front of you, laden down with fig- urines, statues or statuettes to add to your nativity. They hang from the walls and pile up on the pavement too; this really is pre- sepe central. M any s hops , like Ferrignollarco's that opened in 1836, are third, fourth or even fifth generation nativity makers, some specializing in the manger setting, others in the figures. But the artisans of Via San Gregorio The presepi of Via San Gregorio Armeno in Naples are famous the world over as the best Also known locally as Via San Liguori, or Figurine Street, the Via San Gregorio Armeno is one of Naples oldest roads. Photo by jacklondon The artisans of via San Gregorio Armeno aren't just famous for their religious art, they also produce figures from Neapolitan tradition and current affair Armeno aren't just famous for their religious art, they also pro- duce figures from Neapolitan tradition and current affairs. Some are renowned for their fishermen and winemakers pro- duced alongside the shepherds and three wise men, whilst oth- ers are celebrated for their satiri- cal and political caricatures. Last year's figures included U S Presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. And previous offerings have included Barack O bama, S ilvio Berlusconi and, of course, Pope F rances co, names ake of the original creator of the crib scene which brings us right back to where we started. Ultimately the presepi of Via San Gregorio Armeno in Naples are famous the world over as the best. And from the centuries old manger scenes, to the collections of aficionados like King Charles III to the s imple s ouvenirs bought by today's visitors, the figurini and statuini of Napoli have been recreating the story of the nativity for centuries. So w hether you w ant a s imple wooden or wax presepe for a family s ide table or an epic hand-painted terracotta scene w ith dozens of animals and Biblical characters to set in your town square Naples's Christmas Street has everything you need. But if you want to beat the rush, you'll have to be quick. Just don't forget that whilst all the main figures gather throughout December, the Christ-child is only added on December 24th. Buon Natale tutti! Continued from pg 1

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