In depth
What it is
The Presepe vivente di Paravento is one of the most renowned Nativity representations in the Marche region, staged in Paravento, a small hamlet in the municipality of Cagli, in the province of Pesaro e Urbino. For one day the entire village, which lies along the ancient via Flaminia at the foot of Monte Petrano, is transformed into a village of two thousand years ago: alleyways, houses and courtyards become an open-air theatre that visitors walk through among its scenes. The event is part of the festival "Il Natale che non ti aspetti", promoted in the province of Pesaro e Urbino, and is also known as "Le Terre del Catria vivono il Presepe".
What makes it special
What makes the presepe of Paravento special is above all its scale: around 130 costumed participants animate some thirty scenes of rural life and ancient crafts, among looms, forges, bread ovens and artisan workshops, also populated by oxen, donkeys and other farmyard animals. There are no stages or wings: you walk inside the presepe, among lit fires, workshops for adults and children dedicated to ceramics, paper and wooden toys, readings around the fire in the courtyards and bagpipes in the streets, up to a concert in the village church. An original detail is the exchange bank in sesterces, the ancient Roman coin with which visitors purchase the gastronomic specialities prepared in the encampments. In December 2023 the event received an important recognition: a delegation from Paravento was invited to an audience with Pope Francis, for the eighth centenary of the first living nativity scene in history, that of San Francesco d'Assisi at Greccio in 1223.
Origins and history
The exact origins of the presepe of Paravento are not precisely documented in available sources. The event is organised by the association "La Battaglia di Paravento", the same group that also organises historical re-enactments on Monte Catria linked to the Resistance, and had already reached its fifth edition in January 2022, a sign of an initiative probably begun some years earlier, though it has not been possible to verify the exact year it started. Over time the representation has grown, coming to involve over a hundred participants and gaining attention from regional and national press, up to the invitation to the Vatican in 2023 through the national association "Città dei Presepi". In some editions the same scenography has also been replicated in Serra Sant'Abbondio, on 6 January.
What to see
Walking through the streets of Paravento visitors encounter scenes of crafts and daily life from the time of the Nativity: spinners, blacksmiths, shepherds, bakers, carpenters, as well as carefully reconstructed caves and huts. The route concludes at the Nativity scene, with Mary, Joseph, the Child, the ox and the donkey, flanked by the Three Wise Men with their gifts. Along the way there are encampments where roasted chestnuts, mulled wine, porchetta, skewers, hot chocolate and savoury zeppole are prepared and sold, to be enjoyed immersed in the atmosphere of the presepe.
When and how to visit
The presepe vivente di Paravento is generally held for one evening during the Christmas holidays, most often on 26 December. In the last documented edition opening hours were from 5pm to 7.30pm, preceded in the morning by a mass in the village church. Admission requires a ticket of 5 euros for adults, while for children under 10 it is free. For dates and times of the current edition it is advisable to check the Facebook page of the association "La Battaglia di Paravento" or the programme of the festival "Il Natale che non ti aspetti" of the province of Pesaro e Urbino, as these may vary from year to year.
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