In depth
What it is
The Presepe Artistico di San Filippo is an outdoor nativity display created in San Filippo sul Cesano, a small hamlet in the municipality of Mondavio, in the hinterland of the province of Pesaro e Urbino, in Marche. It is considered the largest artistic nativity scene in the Valcesano: not just a simple nativity, but a true scenic route that recreates the trades and environments of the peasant civilisation of the past, set up every year during the Christmas period in a green area of the village.
What makes it special
The nativity scene unfolds along a route of approximately 200 metres in a green area of 1,500 square metres. Along the way visitors encounter settings and life-size figures made of wood: the blacksmith, the washerwoman, the sheep shearer, the carpenter, the tavern, the mill, the oven, the stable and the greengrocer, as well as small bridges, a stream and a pond. The materials used are largely period objects and tools, recovered from the local people, bearing witness to an almost vanished peasant civilisation. Soft lighting and Christmas music accompany the visit, whilst the Nativity hut is renewed each year.
Origins and history
The nativity scene was created on the initiative of the local association San Filippo nel Mondo, which oversees the display with the help of volunteers and inhabitants of the small hamlet. Available sources do not report a certain founding date, but indicate that in 2019 the display was already in its fourth edition, which would date the start of the initiative to approximately 2016. Over the years the nativity scene has been renewed and expanded almost every edition, with new scenes and recovered materials, becoming from a simple village initiative an attraction known at regional level.
What to see
Walking along the route, visitors pass through a sequence of small wooden settings that tell the story of life and work in a peasant village of times past: the blacksmith's forge, the washerwoman at the stream, the sheep shearing, the carpenter's workshop, the tavern, the mill and bread oven, the stable with animals and the greengrocer's stall. The route concludes with the Nativity scene, renewed each year, whilst small bridges, a little pond and soft lights create the overall atmosphere of the display.
When and how to visit
The nativity scene is set up every year during Advent and remains open until Epiphany: in the last documented edition (19 December 2021 - 6 January 2022) the inauguration was held on the opening Sunday at 6:00 pm, with daily opening from 10:00 am to 9:30 pm. Admission is free, by donation: the donations collected are given to Caritas and the social services of the Comune di Mondavio. For dates and times of the current edition it is advisable to check the Facebook pages of the association San Filippo nel Mondo, the Pro Loco Mondavio and the Comune di Mondavio, as those for the 2021-2022 season should not be considered valid for subsequent years.
The photos belong to their respective owners or to whoever holds the rights, and are published under the licence shown below each image.
