In depth
What it is
The Presepe di via Parisio 50 is a mechanical and animated nativity scene set up every year in a private courtyard in the Murri area of Bologna. It is not linked to a parish or museum: it is the handcrafted creation of a local resident, Piera Cavazza, who opens her courtyard to visitors during the Christmas season. Featuring water features, figurines and moving toy trains, the nativity scene combines the characters of the Nativity with views and symbols of the city of Bologna, recreated in miniature.
What makes it special
What makes it unique is above all the setting: not a church or a square, but the courtyard of a private house, which year after year has been expanded to occupy almost the entire available space. The nativity scene is animated and mechanical, with a toy train and a handcrafted tram moving along the tracks, a flowing waterfall and a snow-covered landscape. Among the most distinctive details are the reconstruction of the canal of via Riva di Reno about five metres long, 97 parked toy cars, real stones from piazza Maggiore and eighteen miniature construction sites for the city tram, each watched over by the typical Bolognese umarell. There is no shortage of references to local tradition, such as the Nettuno fountain, the old Piazzola market, the Pavaglione arcades and tiny tortellini recreated in front of a fresh pasta stall.
Origins and history
Available sources do not precisely document the year the presepe di via Parisio was created, described as a now well-established tradition in the Murri district. It is the work of Piera Cavazza, who every year renews and expands the display in the courtyard of her home, adding new views of the city. In recent years the toy train that had travelled around the nativity scene for three years broke down, and the creator replaced it with a handmade tram, as a tribute to the tram construction sites that are transforming Bologna. In January 2026 the presepe di via Parisio won the eighth edition of the Vota il tuo presepe competition promoted by Il Resto del Carlino, collecting 2,130 votes out of a record total of around 7,000 votes cast for sixteen nativity scenes in the competition, beating the one in piazza Capitini into second place. The award ceremony took place at the newspaper's headquarters, in the auditorium Biagi, in the presence of Cardinal Matteo Zuppi.
What to see
Visiting the courtyard at via Parisio 50, you walk ideally through a miniature Bologna. In addition to the traditional Nativity scene, populated with figurines, you can admire water features and a waterfall, a snow-covered landscape, a toy train and a tram moving along the tracks. Among the reconstructed streets and small squares are the Nettuno fountain, the Pavaglione arcades, the Piazzola market with fresh pasta stalls and tiny tortellini, a canal inspired by via Riva di Reno, dozens of parked toy cars and small roadworks with the inevitable umarell watching the work.
When and how to visit
The nativity scene traditionally opens at the end of November and remains open until the end of January. In the latest edition the opening period ran from 29 November 2025 to 25 January 2026, with access during the hours 11-13 and 16.30-18.30. The sources consulted do not indicate whether admission is free or by donation, and there does not appear to be an official website or social media page dedicated to the nativity scene. Before planning your visit it is advisable to check updated dates and times through the tourist channels of the Comune di Bologna.
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