In depth
What it is
La Notte dei Presepi is the winter evening event of the Ecomuseo delle Erbe Palustri in Villanova di Bagnacavallo, in the Bassa Romagna. It is part of the programme Bagnacavallo d'inverno and marks the special opening of the exhibition La Capanna del Bambinello, a showcase of creative and sustainable nativity scenes set up in the museum spaces and in the nearby Etnoparco Villanova delle Capanne. It is not a monumental nativity scene to be viewed in a church or a grotto, but a Christmas-themed evening that combines a guided visit, folk music and a convivial dinner in an unusual place: a small ethnographic museum dedicated to the civilisation of the marshlands and the working of marsh plants.
What makes it special
What makes this evening particularly special is first and foremost the material of the nativity scenes on display: hollowed-out potatoes that serve as grottos and briscola playing cards cut out to become the sentinels of the nativity, a humble technique of reuse now reinterpreted in terms of sustainability. The setting is equally out of the ordinary: the evening opening allows visitors to explore both the museum rooms on several floors and the reed huts reconstructed in the Etnoparco, specially lit for the occasion. The programme opens with a walk under the stars guided by the Villanordic group and closes with a dinner of traditional Romagna cuisine, accompanied by the folk songs of the female vocal group A voj cantè neca me: an interweaving of craftsmanship, nature, food and music uncommon for a nativity scene.
Origins and history
The tradition of the potato and briscola card nativity scene has its roots in the peasant customs of the Bassa Romagna, when in times of poverty children created the nativity with what the countryside offered. The sources consulted do not precisely document the most ancient origins of this custom nor a single originator. It was brought back to life as an annual exhibition by the Ecomuseo delle Erbe Palustri, managed by the Associazione Culturale Civiltà Erbe Palustri, active since 1985 in preserving the knowledge of the marshlands of Villanova: in the 2024 edition the exhibition La Capanna del Bambinello had already reached its twelfth edition, a sign of an initiative consolidated over the years. La Notte dei Presepi was added as a themed opening evening, with elements such as the evening walk and the dinner with live music becoming a small opening ritual for the village festivities.
What to see
During the visit you can admire the nativity scenes made with potatoes, playing cards and other natural or recycled materials, the work of families, schools and enthusiasts from the area, displayed in the museum rooms dedicated to the working of stiancia, reed, rush and willow. Outdoors, in the darkness of the evening, you walk among the reed huts of the Etnoparco Villanova delle Capanne, faithful reconstructions of the dwellings of the marsh people of the past. The evening concludes at the Locanda dell'Allegra Mutanda, where the group A voj cantè neca me sings Christmas carols and traditional Romagna folk songs during dinner.
When and how to visit
The event normally takes place on an evening in mid-December, within the programme Bagnacavallo d'inverno, and accompanies an exhibition of nativity scenes that remains open until the end of January. In the last edition, Friday 19 December 2025, the programme began at 6 pm with the walk under the stars, at 7 pm with the special opening of the museum and Etnoparco and at 7.30 pm with dinner. Admission to the exhibition and museum is by free donation, while dinner is by paid reservation. For the dates and times of the current edition it is always advisable to check with the Ecomuseo delle Erbe Palustri before planning your visit, as they are not certain until confirmed for the current year.
