In depth
What it is
Le Vie dei Presepi di Urbino is a widespread exhibition of nativity art that every December brings life to the historic centre of this Marche city, a Unesco World Heritage site. Promoted by the Pro Loco di Urbino with the support of the municipality, it offers a route through churches, oratories, alleyways and palaces where over two hundred nativity scenes of every size and technique are displayed, from full-round statues in display cases to perspective dioramas. There are three main venues, accessible with a single ticket: the Chiesa di San Domenico in piazza Rinascimento and, not far away in via Barocci, the Oratorio delle Cinque Piaghe and the Oratorio di San Giuseppe.
What makes it special
What makes the exhibition unique is above all the large mechanical nativity scene housed in the Oratorio di San Giuseppe: a setting that reconstructs an entire neighbourhood of nineteenth-century Rome, among ancient ruins and tenement houses, animated by numerous moving figurines depicting shepherds and traditional trades, with great appeal for children. In the same oratory there is also the presepe Brandani, a life-size stucco group created in the sixteenth century by the sculptor Federico Brandani in a room arranged like a grotto, considered one of the oldest stucco nativity scenes in the world and for years the symbol of the event. The other venues offer different styles, from wood to ceramics, to experimental pieces such as origami, while the streets of the historic centre are transformed into an open-air gallery.
Origins and history
The event was founded in 2001 on the initiative of the Pro Loco di Urbino, which has organised it edition after edition ever since with the patronage of the municipality and Unpli. There is no documented record of a single founder nor a specific episode at the origin of the project: the intention, from the outset, was to promote local and international nativity traditions by transforming the historic centre into a widespread Christmas itinerary. Over the years the exhibition has grown to reach, in the 2025-2026 edition, its twenty-fifth anniversary, a milestone celebrated by dedicating the route to Saint Francis of Assisi on the eight hundredth anniversary of his death, with particular attention to nativity scenes made with natural and sustainable materials. In the past the exhibition has also hosted groups on loan from other Italian nativity traditions, such as that of Ponte San Pietro in the Bergamo area.
What to see
In the Chiesa di San Domenico you will find mainly wooden nativity scenes of local and international origin. The Oratorio delle Cinque Piaghe houses ceramic nativity scenes made from the twentieth century onwards, alongside more creative works and unusual materials. In the Oratorio di San Giuseppe the mechanical nativity scene of nineteenth-century Rome coexists, with its animated figurines, and the historic stucco nativity scene by Federico Brandani. Along the streets, alleyways and under the arcades of the historic centre there are dozens of other small nativity scenes, often created by associations, schools or private individuals, which complete the route between one venue and another.
When and how to visit
The exhibition traditionally opens between late November and Epiphany. In the most recent edition the calendar scheduled opening on the weekends of 29-30 November, 6-7-8 and 13-14 December, then remaining open every day from 20 December to 6 January, with hours 10-13 and 15-19. Admission to the three main venues is charged with a single ticket of 3 euros, free for young children; the nativity scenes freely displayed in the streets of the centre can instead be admired without a ticket, while strolling through the city. For the current year it is advisable to check the updated dates on the Pro Loco di Urbino channels before visiting.
