In depth
What it is
The Presepe della Zolfatara is an animated artistic nativity scene in Predappio Alta, a small medieval village in the hills of the Forlì area, in Romagna. Born in the galleries of the old sulphur mine of the village, it is now set up in the underground caves of the Cantina Ca' de Sanzves, in the heart of the village. It is organised every year by the Pro Loco di Predappio Alta and is one of the longest-standing Christmas traditions in the province of Forlì Cesena.
What makes it special
What distinguishes it is first and foremost the setting: the biblical scenes are not in a church or a square, but underground, in the ancient fifteenth-century cellars known as Cantine Zoli, carved on several levels into the rock. The statues, about one metre tall, have hollow wooden bodies to contain the mechanisms for the animated movements, while hands and feet are made of plaster, a material chosen to better withstand the humidity of the underground environments. Lights, music and sound effects accompany the route through the scenes. Until the move, the nativity scene occupied the disused sulphur mine of the village, an unusual and evocative place in itself, with an underground stream flowing into a small lake.
Origins and history
The origins date back to 1981, when a group of local speleologists, the Gruppo Ricerche Minerali, decided to spend Christmas night inside the old sulphur mine abandoned in the 1950s. Hearing of the initiative, the Pro Loco and the parish priest don Libero Gardelli brought gifts to the young speleologists: from that episode, in 1982, the first nativity scene was born, set up with wooden statues from Ortisei lent to the community. In the following years the exhibition grew rapidly to thousands of visitors, so much so that in 1985 consolidation and safety works were carried out in the galleries. In 1987 the Pro Loco entrusted the direction to the young nativity scene maker Davide Santandrea, who introduced the first animated scenes and brought the nativity scene to national fame. Over the years the project has passed through various hands, including friar Giovanni Lambertini, the sculptor Andrea Fontana and the Gualtieri family, with Santandrea returning several times to lead it, most recently from 2021. In 2022 the Pro Loco, left with few elderly volunteers, decided to stop setting up in the mine; the landslides and floods of May 2023, followed by seismic shocks, then made the galleries of the Zolfatara permanently inaccessible. The nativity scene has thus found a new home in the caves of the Cantina Ca' de Sanzves, in the centre of Predappio Alta.
What to see
The route winds through several underground caves of the cellar, transformed into scenes from the nativity story: shepherds, animals and biblical characters almost life-size, animated by mechanisms that make them move, while calibrated lights and soundtrack accompany the visit. Compared to the fifteen to seventeen scenes that occupied the old mine, in the new location the route has been reduced to about eight settings, but the statues have retained the dimensions and artisan care of always. Around the scenes you can glimpse the barrels and tools of the museum of wine civilisation that shares the spaces of the cellar, an added value for those visiting the village.
When and how to visit
The nativity scene traditionally opens in early December, generally around the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and remains open until the end of January, according to the opening hours of the venue that hosts it. In the last documented edition the opening was daily except Wednesday, with hours 11.30-22.00, and the ticket cost 2.50 euros. This information should be verified for the current edition by contacting the Pro Loco di Predappio Alta or consulting the official website and Facebook page of the nativity scene, as dates and times may change from year to year.
