In depth
What it is
La Capanna del Bambinello is an exhibition of creative nativity scenes set up every winter at the Ecomuseo delle Erbe Palustri in Villanova di Bagnacavallo, a hamlet of the municipality of Bagnacavallo, in the province of Ravenna. It is not a single large nativity scene, but a collection of many small nativity scenes handmade by families, schools, associations and enthusiasts from the area. The route runs through the ground floor rooms of the museum and continues outdoors, inside the characteristic marsh reed huts reconstructed in the ethnopark surrounding the building.
What makes it special
What distinguishes this exhibition is first and foremost its unusual setting: the nativity scenes are not in a church or a cave, but inside an ethnographic museum dedicated to marsh plants and, above all, inside real reed huts built using the traditional techniques of the lower Romagna. The nativity scenes favour natural and recycled materials, in line with the sustainable vocation of the Ecomuseo, and also include tapestries by artists and ceramic works. Among the works there is always some reference to the local peasant tradition of the potato nativity scene, in which the Holy Family was modelled with tubers and surrounded by figures of soldiers cut out from briscola playing cards, placed to guard the hut. The exhibition grows year by year with new interpretations, because anyone can contribute with their own technique. In the latest edition, on 16 December, the visit was accompanied by a special evening with a Celtic harp concert.
Origins and history
The event was born to revive a peasant custom once widespread in the homes of Villanova and the lower Romagna: when terracotta figurines were a luxury, children would build the nativity scene with potatoes, carving or decorating them, and would add the figures of soldiers from briscola playing cards as guardians. The Ecomuseo delle Erbe Palustri, a cultural institution of the Municipality of Bagnacavallo created to promote the crafts related to the processing of marsh plants, revived this custom by transforming it into an annual exhibition open to contributions from the whole community. In 2024 the initiative reached its twelfth edition, a sign of a now well-established tradition; no precise founding year or single creator is documented, but over the years the exhibition has expanded to include more and more schools, families and local associations, as well as evenings and side events.
What to see
Visiting the exhibition you will encounter nativity scenes of every technique and size: from the most classic compositions to the most original ones, made with wood, fabric, recycled paper, plant elements and, of course, potatoes and playing cards according to local tradition. Some works are signed by artists and craftsmen, others are created in workshops in local schools. The route crosses the museum rooms, with their objects related to the civilisation of the valleys and the processing of marsh grass, and ends in the outdoor ethnopark, among the reed huts that reproduce the ancient dwellings of the marsh plant gatherers, here transformed into small settings for the Nativity.
When and how to visit
The exhibition generally opens in early December and remains open until the last day of January. In the latest edition the opening was on 8 December 2025, at 10 am, with closing set for 31 January 2026; visiting hours were Tuesday to Friday from 9 am to 1 pm, Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm and from 3 pm to 6 pm, Sunday from 10 am to 1 pm and from 3 pm to 6 pm. Admission was free. These dates and times refer to the past edition: for the current year it is advisable to check the updated programme on the Ecomuseo website or by contacting the facility directly, at via Ungaretti 1 in Villanova di Bagnacavallo, telephone +39 0545 280920.
