In depth
What it is
The Presepe di Pane nel Mulino Sapignoli is an artistic nativity scene that every winter brings life to the Museo Mulino Sapignoli, in Santo Marino di Poggio Torriana, in the hilly hinterland of Rimini. It is not a permanent nativity scene, but a themed installation that changes from edition to edition, set up by the association Gli Amici del Mulino Sapignoli with the support of the Comune di Poggio Torriana, as part of a broader programme of Christmas initiatives linked to the village and the museum.
What makes it special
The distinctive feature of this nativity scene is first and foremost the location: an ancient water mill, now a museum of milling and agricultural arts, where the millstones worked until the 1980s. This is also where the name comes from, because the first edition was carved entirely inside a large loaf of bread. In subsequent years the technique and materials have constantly changed: bread, flour and wheat, but also wool, reclaimed objects and, in the most recent edition, light as the main narrative element. Each edition has a different title and concept, created by artists or associations from the area. The sources consulted do not report the number of figures or the exact dimensions of the installation.
Origins and history
The initiative began in 2012 on the idea of the animator Giampiero Frisoni, who together with the children of the scuola Marino Moretti and volunteers from the association created the first Nativity carved in bread, entitled La Nascita nel Pane, thus bringing flour back to life in the same place where the mill's millstones had worked for decades. Since then the nativity scene has returned every winter with ever new themes: La Natività nel Mulino in 2013, Fonti di Vita in 2014, Un campo di grano un filo di lana in 2015, In cammino tra cielo e terra in 2016, Oasi di speranza in 2017, up to La fantasia del recupero in 2019, created by the Cooperativa Atlantide with the artist Antonella Flenghi and the Forno Zanni di Poggio Torriana, to promote the creative reuse of waste materials. In the 2024/25 edition, entitled Sorgenti di luce, the installation was created by the artist Alberto Celli with the support of the municipal administration.
What to see
The route runs through the museum rooms, among the millstones, agricultural tools and instruments of the ancient milling activity, where the Nativity scene takes shape with the materials chosen for the current edition. In the Sorgenti di luce edition the central theme was precisely the light that accompanies the birth, in a route designed for families and children. The inauguration is usually also a small event for the village, with the screening of an animated film for the little ones, a torchlight procession with bagpipe music to the mill and a final convivial moment with hot chocolate and mulled wine.
When and how to visit
The nativity scene is set up every year between early December and mid-January, coinciding with the Christmas holidays. In the last documented edition the opening ran from 8 December to 6 January, with the inauguration on 8 December at 3.30 pm and free guided tours on public holidays, from 3 pm to 6 pm, led by volunteers from the association Gli Amici del Mulino Sapignoli. Admission has always been free. Dates and times may vary from year to year: before planning your visit it is advisable to check the updated calendar on the website of the Comune di Poggio Torriana or the association, or contact the municipal library which manages information about the event.
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