Naples kicked off its 154th Christmas Fair with a moving tribute to James Senese, a legend of Neapolitan music who passed away a few days ago. Late yesterday afternoon, San Gregorio Armeno—the world's most famous nativity scene street—filled with Neapolitans and tourists for the official inauguration of an event that unites art, faith, and folk tradition.
A nativity scene for James
The artisans of the street paid tribute to the saxophonist by creating a commemorative statuette, which was presented to his daughter Anna Senese during the ceremony. "We couldn't help but think of and remember the great James," said Vincenzo Capuano, president of the Le Botteghe di San Gregorio Armeno Association. "A great loss for Naples." The artist's daughter, visibly moved, welcomed the gift as a symbol of the city's affection for her father: a gesture that transforms mourning into living memory, in the finest Neapolitan tradition.
Anna Senese herself was responsible for cutting the ribbon, along with Tourism Councilor Teresa Armato, the event's patroness. Before the ceremony, Don Domenico, parish priest of San Lorenzo Maggiore, blessed the Fair, noting how this centuries-old tradition "continues to speak to the city and the world," preserving a profound connection between the sacred and the profane.
The new road system
The major new development for the 2025 edition concerns pedestrian traffic. Councilor Armato announced that alternating one-way traffic will be in effect on December weekends: two weeks uphill and two weeks downhill. This decision reverses last year's measure, when the permanent one-way traffic uphill had created difficulties for some business owners.
"A gesture of attentiveness to the needs of artisans and visitors," commented the Le Botteghe Association, expressing satisfaction with the city administration's attentiveness. The measure aims to improve the Fair's enjoyment by ensuring fairness among all the historic workshops along the route.
Tradition that looks forward
The inauguration was also attended by Samuele Marigliano, president of the Artigianale Arte Presepiale Association, and City Council Vice President Flavia Sorrentino, who contributed to the installation of the new houses and the organization of the event. Collaboration between institutions and artisans remains a key element in preserving a heritage that attracts visitors from around the world.
"San Gregorio Armeno is the beating heart of Neapolitan Christmas," Capuano emphasized, noting how every year the street offers "a unique and authentic way to experience this holiday." This authenticity resists the global commercialization of Christmas, maintaining its ability to amaze with handcrafted figurines that immortalize the year's figures, from politics to sports, from news to entertainment.
The Fair will remain open until Epiphany, offering visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in an experience where nativity scene art, spirituality, and Neapolitan identity blend together in a choral tale spanning the centuries.
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