Nativity scene
Italian name: Presepe vivente di Zola Predosa
In the central square of Zola Predosa, near Bologna, the Nativity comes to life with costumed inhabitants, lights, market stalls and artistic nativity scenes of the village.
Dates are those announced by the organisers and may change: always check the official site of the event before you leave.
From the airport, the station or your hotel: a driver takes you to the entrance and picks you up at the end. Fixed price, book online in two minutes.
Book your transferService by Romagna Transfer. Their site opens.
Living nativity scene
It's a live Nativity scene set up outdoors in the village's central square, with traditional characters played by local residents and volunteers. The event takes place on the morning of 21 December, starting at 11am, and is part of the Christmas programme in Zola Predosa, which also includes the artistic nativity scenes of the Voltone in Vicolo Marchi.
The edition number is not published: it is held every year at Christmas.
Piazza centrale
Piazza della Repubblica, 40069 Zola Predosa (BO)
It's located in the central square of Zola Predosa, in the historic centre, near the Town Hall and the church of Santi Nicolò e Agata. Just a few steps away, in Vicolo Marchi, you'll find the artistic nativity scenes of the Voltone.
No car, or late in the evening after your visit: a driver takes you right to the nativity scene and back to your hotel.
Book your transferInformation gathered from public sources (parishes, local associations, town halls, local press) about the last edition: check dates and hours on the official site before you set off.
The living nativity scene of Zola Predosa is a living representation of the Nativity that for one morning brings to life the central square of the town, in the area west of Bologna, during the Christmas holiday period. It is not an isolated event: it is part of the broader calendar with which the Municipality, together with the Pro Loco and local organisations, lights up Christmas in Zola Predosa, with markets, illuminations, family entertainment and the artistic nativity scenes of the Voltone set up in the historic centre.
The value of this living nativity scene lies above all in its setting: the scene comes to life in the main square of the town, in the heart of the historic centre, a few steps from the town hall and the ancient church of Santi Nicolò e Agata, whose origins date back to the Middle Ages and which today appears in the eighteenth-century forms designed by the architect Cosimo Morelli. The representation is part of a broader Christmas route: in the same period, in the evocative Vicolo Marchi, in the courtyards of the houses in the village, artistic nativity scenes are set up, the so-called presepi del Voltone, which together with the living scene transform the centre of Zola Predosa into a small Christmas itinerary. The public sources consulted do not, however, report certain details on the number of participants, costumes or scenic techniques employed: those who wish for this level of detail can contact the Municipality or the local Pro Loco directly.
Regarding the specific origins of the living nativity scene of Zola Predosa, who conceived it and when the tradition began in its current form, the available public sources offer no documented information: there is no verifiable news of a date of first edition nor of a specific promoter, and it is not possible to reconstruct with certainty how the event has evolved over the years. A more general contextual fact remains: the tradition of the living nativity scene as a popular representation of the Nativity in Italy dates back to the scene set up by Saint Francis of Assisi in Greccio in 1223, a model from which the many local variants spread throughout the country, including that of the Bologna area, have since derived over the centuries.
Those who arrive in the square on the day of the event find the Nativity scene set up outdoors, with the traditional characters, starting with the Holy Family, played by residents and volunteers from the town in a context of celebration shared by the community. Around the living scene, the same period offers other stops not to be missed: the artistic nativity scenes in the courtyards of Vicolo Marchi, the illuminations lit in the historic centre and, in the early days of December, the Christmas markets set up in the setting of Villa Edvige Garagnani. Overall, visitors can create a small Christmas walk that interweaves the living representation with the other events in the municipal programme.
The living nativity scene is part of the Natale a Zola Predosa programme, which in recent editions has run between early December and the first days of January. In the last documented edition, the scene in the square was held on Sunday 21 December 2025, starting at 11 am. It is a public event set up in a town square, without ticketing: access is therefore free, as for most of the Christmas initiatives organised by the Municipality in the open spaces of the centre. For the date and times of the current edition, not yet certain at the time of writing this entry, it is advisable to check the website of the Comune di Zola Predosa or the channels of the local Pro Loco, which publish the complete calendar of Christmas events every year.
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