In depth
What it is
The Presepe di sabbia di Torre Pedrera is a Christmas installation set up every winter on the beach of Torre Pedrera, the coastal district of Rimini overlooking the Adriatic, in front of Bagno Carlino at number 65. Inside a large covered and heated structure, specialist sculptors shape a representation of the Nativity with sand and water, renewed each year with a different theme. The initiative is organised by the Comitato Turistico di Torre Pedrera and is one of the most beloved Christmas events in Rimini, part of the wider calendar of Christmas events along the coast, together with other sand nativity scenes set up in the city.
What makes it special
What makes it unique is first and foremost the material: no clay or plaster, but only beach sand and water, worked by hand by professional sculptors such as Franco Daga and Susanne Paucker, who have been creating the work for several editions. In recent editions the nativity scene has been enriched by a second artistic language, that of recycled metal by the artist Lu Lupan from the Mutonia collective, whose sculptures dialogue with the sand figures to tell a story of environmental sustainability. The location itself is unusual for a nativity scene: not a church or a square, but the shoreline, inside a heated marquee that protects the work from the weather and allows visits for over a month, with the possibility for visitors to also observe the working phases in the days before the inauguration.
Origins and history
Sources do not report precisely who conceived the nativity scene nor the exact date of the first edition, but the clues gathered allow its birth to be placed in the mid-2000s: the 2023-2024 edition, entitled Oltre, was in fact the seventeenth, which traces its beginnings back to around 2007. Over the years the work has changed face and authors several times: one of the first documented editions, in 2009, bore the signature of the sculptor Leonardo Ugolini, with life-size sculptural groups that could be visited from 9am to 10pm. In more recent years the baton has passed to Franco Daga and Susanne Paucker, whilst from 2023 the nativity scene has opened up to collaboration with the artist Lu Lupan from Mutonia, who has inserted sculptures made from recycled metal, transforming the event from a simple craft spectacle to an opportunity for reflection on environmental themes, whilst maintaining intact the traditional heart of the Nativity.
What to see
Visitors find a representation of the Nativity entirely sculpted in sand: the Holy Family, the shepherds and the figures of the traditional nativity scene take shape inside a large covered marquee, lit in the evening, which protects the work from wind and rain and guarantees its preservation throughout the Christmas period. In editions dedicated to sustainability, alongside the sand sculptures appear elements made from reclaimed materials and recycled metal, designed to accompany the sacred narrative with a message of care for the environment. Around the nativity scene, the Comitato Turistico often organises entertainment events, particularly on the days of the inauguration.
When and how to visit
The nativity scene traditionally opens at the beginning of December and remains open until Epiphany, with a public inauguration that in recent years has been held around 9 December. In recent editions the opening hours have been, on weekdays, from 9:00 to 12:30 and from 14:30 to 18:30, with some dates concentrated at the beginning and middle of December and then continuous from 22 December until Epiphany; for the current edition it is advisable to check the updated hours on the channels of the Comitato Turistico di Torre Pedrera. Admission has always been free. The nativity scene is located on the beach of Torre Pedrera, at Bagno Carlino 65, along via San Salvador, easily reached on foot from the seafront or by car following the signs for Torre Pedrera along the Adriatica state road.
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