In depth
What it is
Presepi dalla collezione Forlai is a temporary exhibition of nativity figurines held at the Museo Davia Bargellini in Bologna, at Strada Maggiore 44. It is not a nativity scene set up in a church or square, but an exhibition route within a civic museum, designed for the Christmas period and curated by Antonella Mampieri, the museum's curator. The initiative is part of the "Festivamente" programme promoted by the Municipality of Bologna for the holidays, and is organised by the Musei Civici d'Arte Antica in collaboration with the Centro Studi per la Cultura Popolare.
What makes it special
The exhibition places alongside the museum's permanent collection, which holds the most important collection of Bolognese nativity figurines by number of pieces and artistic quality, a group of sixteen figures from the private collection of architect Edgardo Forlai. These are figurines from the Bologna, Modena and central-southern areas, dating from the late eighteenth to early nineteenth century. The materials are typical of the popular Emilian nativity scene of that era: polychrome terracotta, but also wax, plaster and papier-mâché, with vivid colours and fabric for the clothing. Among the pieces noted in sources are a pair of shepherds dated 1790 and the figure of the Tradizione, a mother with her child in her arms. The setting itself is distinctive: the figurines are displayed in the rooms of a Baroque palace that is itself a small museum of Bolognese curiosities.
Origins and history
The exhibition was created to present, alongside the permanent nativity heritage of the Davia Bargellini, the figure of a specific collector: Edgardo Forlai, an architect of Bolognese origin but long resident in Forlì. Before dedicating himself to nativity figurines, Forlai had assembled a substantial collection of puppets, marionettes and popular nineteenth-century Emilian-Romagnol theatres, donated to the city of Forlì in 2003. His main passion, however, remained the Bolognese and Emilian nativity scene, from which the group now displayed in Bologna originates. The sources consulted do not report a founding date for the exhibition as a regular event nor a calendar of previous editions with the collezione Forlai: the 2025/2026 edition is the one documented by available sources, included in the broader Christmas programme of the Bolognese Musei Civici.
What to see
The route presents the figurines from the collezione Forlai together with those from the museum's permanent collection. Visitors can observe figures of shepherds, the Holy Family and subjects from popular tradition such as the Tradizione, a mother with child, as well as minor characters typical of the eighteenth and nineteenth-century Emilian nativity scene. The figurines display the technique of polychrome terracotta, with details in wax and papier-mâché and fabric clothing, characteristic of the popular Bolognese nativity scene of that period. The visit takes place in the historic rooms of the Museo Davia Bargellini, which also preserves paintings, ceramics, furniture and other objects of Bolognese applied art, visible alongside the temporary exhibition.
When and how to visit
In the most recent edition the exhibition was open from 6 December 2025 to 11 January 2026, with opening hours Tuesday and Thursday from 10am to 3pm, Friday from 2pm to 6pm, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays from 10am to 6.30pm. Admission was free. The dates and times of any future editions are not yet certain and should be checked on the official channels of the Municipality of Bologna or the museum before visiting.
