In depth
What it is
The mechanical nativity scene of Gatteo Mare is an animated Christmas installation that every year transforms Piazza della Libertà, in the heart of the seaside district of Gatteo, into a small open-air theatre. It is created by artist Marco Fantini together with his father Luciano and the family, and tells the story of the Nativity interweaving it with landscapes, trades and characters from Romagna. The work is protected by a tensile structure that shelters it from bad weather, so it can be visited in any weather conditions throughout the Christmas period.
What makes it special
What makes it unique is above all the technique: the figures move thanks to handcrafted mechanisms that animate everyday gestures, trades and scenes of rural life in Romagna, in a display that extends over approximately 32 square metres. Each edition proposes a different narrative theme: the 2025-2026 edition, entitled Alle Sorgenti, imagines a journey that ideally traces back the course of the river Rubicone, from the mouth at Gatteo Mare to its sources in the territory of Sogliano, a gesture that the curators themselves define as having a jubilee character. Among the most carefully crafted details are the fosse malatestiane for cheese ageing and the testi di terracotta for cooking piadina, inspired by the village of Montetiffi, together with figures that recall local culture: the poets Giovanni Pascoli and Tonino Guerra, Archbishop Pietro Sambi and cyclist Marco Pantani, portrayed on his bicycle. The location is also unusual: not a church or museum, but the main square of the seaside resort, transformed for weeks into a themed stage.
Origins and history
The nativity scene is designed and built by hand by Marco Fantini, assisted by his father Luciano, with the support of local organisations such as Associazione Uniti per Gatteo, Centro Ricreativo Auser and Associazione Telemaco. Available sources describe it as an established tradition for Gatteo Mare, but do not report precisely the year in which it was born nor the stages of its evolution over time: this aspect is not documented in the official pages consulted. What is certain is that the display is renewed each season with a new subject and narrative path, whilst maintaining the same handcrafted character and the same reference to the tradition of the popular Romagna nativity scene.
What to see
Walking past the installation, visitors discover mechanically animated scenes that interweave the Nativity with everyday life in Romagna of times past: farmhouses, agricultural trades, working tools such as the pits for cheese ageing and terracotta testi for piadina. The common thread of the latest edition is the course of the river Rubicone, which guides the eye from the coast towards the hinterland, up to the sources in the municipality of Sogliano al Rubicone. Along the route appear figures that unite the sacred and local identity: besides the protagonists of the classic nativity scene, one can recognise the poet Giovanni Pascoli, writer and screenwriter Tonino Guerra, Archbishop Pietro Sambi and cycling champion Marco Pantani.
When and how to visit
The nativity scene is set up every year during the Christmas period, generally from mid-December until the second half of January. The latest edition was visible from 13 December 2025 to 18 January 2026 in Piazza della Libertà in Gatteo Mare, with opening in the afternoon, generally from 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm, and additional morning hours, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, on public holidays, days before public holidays and Mondays; some tourist pages report extended hours, so it is advisable to check exact times before visiting. Admission is always free. For updated information, contact the Tourist Information Office IAT of Gatteo, telephone +39 0547 86083 or +39 0547 85393, email iat@comune.gatteo.fc.it, or visit the website visitgatteomare.it.
