In depth
What it is
In the heart of Bologna, in the basilica of San Petronio on piazza Maggiore, every Christmas the basilica's fabbriceria sets up two side-by-side artistic nativity scenes, created by sculptors Luigi Enzo Mattei and Donato Mazzotta. This is not a traditional folk nativity with conventional figurines, but a work designed specifically for the basilica's space, renewed each year with a different title and theme related to the liturgical season of Christmas.
What makes it special
The distinctive feature lies in the dual authorship and technique. Mattei works in bas-relief and, in some editions, life-size polychrome terracotta: his "Presepio nella Porta della Misericordia", created for the 2016 Jubilee, occupied approximately 150 square metres. Mazzotta instead creates clay bas-reliefs that juxtapose biblical episodes with contemporary themes such as environmental care and solidarity towards the most vulnerable. The setting is also part of the spectacle: the nativity scenes are placed in one of the largest Gothic churches in the world, just steps from the Cappella dei Magi with its fifteenth-century frescoes dedicated to the Epiphany. Mattei also holds the title of seventy-seventh sculptor of the basilica, a position that the fabbriceria of San Petronio has assigned since the building's foundation in 1390.
Origins and history
The sources consulted do not precisely document the exact year when the custom of commissioning an artistic nativity scene for the basilica began. However, it is known that Luigi Enzo Mattei, a Bolognese sculptor born in 1945 and also known as the "sculptor of the Popes" for works created for John XXIII and Francis, has been active in San Petronio at least since 2016, when he created the large Nativity for the Jubilee of Mercy. Since then, the Christmas appointment has been repeated in subsequent years, adding to Mattei's work the contribution of Donato Mazzotta, who has enriched the display with a contemporary reading of the Scriptures. In the most recent edition, also linked to the current Jubilee, the two nativity scenes were presented under the title "Io sono la porta", recalling the theme of the Holy Door.
What to see
Upon entering the basilica, visitors encounter two distinct but interconnected works. Mattei's nativity scene narrates through bas-reliefs the human journey between bewilderment and redemption, with the figure of Christ at the centre as the door of salvation. Mazzotta's work, modelled in clay, depicts the Holy Family and, alongside traditional Gospel episodes, images that address contemporary themes, from environmental protection to solidarity. Visitors can thus compare two different sculptural languages, one more classical and one more narrative and symbolic, within the same monumental setting of the basilica.
When and how to visit
The nativity scenes are set up each year during the Christmas period, generally from early December until Epiphany or the days immediately following; in the latest edition they were visible from 8 December to 6 January. Access is free, during the same opening hours as the basilica, normally open to visitors every day from morning until late afternoon. For the current season, it is always advisable to check updated dates and times on the basilica's website or at Bologna's tourist office, as they may vary from previous editions.
