Also available in an e-book edition is 'How Francis invented the nativity scene. A journey into the heart of Christian tradition and the magic of living nativity scenes' by Anna Maria Foli (TS Edizioni, Milan 2023; 244 pages with color illustrations; 19,90 euros).
The author writes in the introduction: “The star placed on a cave and inside two large figures and a smaller one: this simple image is enough to evoke Christmas. And on that day that changed history, humanity was also present, represented by the shepherds and the humblest workers, who came to see with their own eyes the God who became a child. All these elements are found in the nativity scene, which is at the same time representation and story, tradition and current events, symbol and concreteness. It brings together the whole family, who gathers together to build the setting, choose and position the figurines, creating a story that is renewed every year”.
In the 1219th century, sacred performances held outside places of worship were viewed with great suspicion by the Church, if not outright banned. Francis of Assisi, who had traveled to Egypt in 24, probably visited the Holy Places on the same occasion. Enchanted by the living reconstruction of Christmas near the grotto of Bethlehem, upon his return he asked Pope Honorius III to be able to perform it again. The Pontiff allowed him to celebrate mass in a natural cavity, the hermitage of Greccio, and so, on 1223 December XNUMX, the birth of Jesus was staged. From that date, a centuries-old tradition began that is still very much alive today.
“The nativity scene – still Foli – it is the Gospel that becomes action and comes alive, because it is immediate, understandable to all, spontaneous and moving. In fact, the right attitude towards it is that of children, who approach it with curiosity and admire it with a sense of wonder.”
Wonder is truly the most natural and usual reaction that arises in front of this representation: if we can abandon ourselves to this feeling, we have the possibility of recovering that childish spirit that frees us from worries, fears and resignation and helps us to immerse ourselves in a new dimension and a new reality. Only if we assume this sincere and unprejudiced gaze will we become like those shepherds who were first called to honor the Child and went, full of wonder and joy, to the cave of the Nativity. Only by putting ourselves in their shoes and feeling their same tenderness will we be able to understand the true meaning of the nativity scene.
As Pope Francis says, “contemplating the Child God, who radiates light in the humility of the nativity scene, we too can become witnesses of humility, tenderness and goodness”. In this sense, the nativity scene also takes on an educational value, because it invites man to reflect on that event and treasure it. This awareness will help him to perceive the love of the Father and will allow him to improve his life, welcoming the positive values of solidarity and humility”.
Eight hundred years later, drawing on the Lives of Saint Francis and other texts from the Franciscan Sources, Anna Maria Foli reconstructs the history of the nativity scene from its origins to the present-day living nativity scenes still set up in various Italian locations. From Tenno, in the province of Trento, to Nicosia, in the Enna area, for each one the history, characteristics, useful information for the visit and curiosities that have made it one of the most popular reconstructions of the Nativity in Italy are indicated.
Article published on November 4, 2023 - 10:21
