In depth
What it is
The nativity scene of Castel San Pietro Terme, in the Bologna area, is not a single installation but a small itinerary that crosses the historic centre and stops in three different places: the parish church of Santa Maria Maggiore, the Giardino degli Angeli and the church of Annunziata. It is part of the town's Christmas initiatives, brought together each year under the name Castèlanadèl and in the municipal guide "Andar per Presepi", and offers visitors three very different ways of telling the Nativity story: a historical terracotta scene, a life-size nativity scene in a garden and a large mechanical nativity scene.
What makes it special
The distinctive feature of this itinerary is the variety of techniques and settings. In Santa Maria Maggiore there is the nativity scene created in 1943 by local artist Cleto Tomba, composed of 41 monochrome terracotta figurines, arranged on scenery designed by Professor Bruno Zappi: among the figures there are also scenes of everyday life in Castel San Pietro, Saint Francis, Father Marella and a reference to the column of the Madonna, patron saint of the town. In the Giardino degli Angeli, a community garden in via Remo Tosi dedicated to children with congenital metabolic diseases, there is instead the historical nativity scene by sculptor Gianni Buonfiglioli: life-size polychrome terracotta statues, with faces that recall some inhabitants of Castel San Pietro, including a shepherdess with eggs, symbol of rebirth, a young woman with a water jug, symbol of purification, and a shepherd with bread, a Eucharistic symbol. Scenic lighting alternates day and night, bringing the depicted activities back to life. In the church of Annunziata there is finally a large mechanical nativity scene, with animated moving figures, different in technique from the other two.
Origins and history
The oldest of the three is the Cleto Tomba nativity scene in Santa Maria Maggiore, dated 1943 and preserved since then as part of the town's artistic heritage. The Giardino degli Angeli nativity scene, the work of Gianni Buonfiglioli, is a historical work that over the years has been placed in various locations around the town, including piazza XX Settembre, before returning, in more recent editions, to the Giardino degli Angeli. Regarding the mechanical nativity scene in Annunziata, the sources consulted report neither the date of creation nor the author: it is mentioned among the town's historical nativity scenes, together with that of the Santuario del Santissimo Crocifisso. In recent years the three installations have been brought together in the "Andar per Presepi" route, promoted by the Municipality of Castel San Pietro Terme with local associations such as Terra Storia Memoria, and included in the Castèlanadèl programme curated by the Pro Loco.
What to see
Those who follow the itinerary can compare up close three different languages of the nativity scene tradition: the monochrome terracotta and details of peasant life in the Tomba nativity scene, the life-size polychrome statues by Buonfiglioli immersed in the greenery of the garden, and the automatisms of the mechanical nativity scene in Annunziata, with scenes that come to life. The route also touches other points of the historic centre decorated for the festivities, including lights, Christmas markets and a Christmas tree in piazza XX Settembre.
When and how to visit
The three nativity scenes can be visited each year during the Christmas period, generally from the first weeks of December until Epiphany, as part of the Castèlanadèl programme organised by the Municipality of Castel San Pietro Terme with the local Pro Loco. In the most recent edition the programme ran from 8 December to 6 January. The church of Santa Maria Maggiore normally follows worship opening hours, with the nativity scene visible every day during those time slots; the Giardino degli Angeli and the church of Annunziata can be visited during the hours communicated each year by the organisation. Entry to the nativity scenes is free according to all sources consulted, with no ticketing. For updated opening hours and any related events, such as the living nativity scene on Epiphany in piazza XX Settembre, it is advisable to consult the programme published by the Municipality or the Pro Loco before visiting.
