In depth
What it is
In Misano Adriatico, on the Romagna coast near Rimini, Christmas brings a small itinerary of nativity scenes scattered between the town and its hamlets. The heart of the route is Scacciano, where you can find Walter Meluzzi's animated mechanical nativity scene, in the former nursery school opposite the church, and the exhibition of handcrafted nativity scenes curated by the Tacchi sisters in a nearby room. In via Boito, in the main town, there is also Ferdinando Righetti's mechanical nativity scene, set up in a private garden. Admission is always free.
What makes it special
What distinguishes this route is the variety of techniques used by non-professional creators. Meluzzi's nativity scene is mechanical and animated: figurines and little scenes move thanks to hidden motors. A few steps further on, the exhibition by Anna Maria Tacchi, with her sisters Carla and Ivana, has gathered over time about three hundred handmade nativity scenes made with humble materials, such as cork stoppers and clothes pegs, as well as ethnic-style nativity scenes. Ferdinando Righetti's nativity scene, in via Boito, is also mechanical and visible even in the evening, thanks to very extended opening hours. The distinctive feature, therefore, is the distribution among houses, gardens and private rooms.
Origins and history
The dates when the individual nativity scenes were created are not precisely documented in available sources: they are creations born from the private passion of some residents of Misano Adriatico, rather than from an organised project from the beginning. Anna Maria Tacchi, a former primary school teacher, has made hundreds of nativity scenes together with her sisters over the years, transforming a domestic activity into a small annual exhibition. Walter Meluzzi and Ferdinando Righetti followed a similar path with their mechanical nativity scenes, perfecting their mechanisms over the years. Today these initiatives have become part of the official calendar of Christmas events of the Municipality, which promotes them together with other festive appointments.
What you can see
In the former nursery school in Scacciano, Meluzzi's nativity scene shows animated scenes where the figures move thanks to hidden mechanisms, depicting crafts and moments of the Nativity. In the nearby room, the Tacchi sisters' exhibition offers nativity scenes of every size and material, from wood to terracotta, including recycled objects such as cork stoppers. In via Boito, Righetti's mechanical nativity scene presents another animated setting, arranged in a garden and illuminated until late evening.
When and how to visit
The nativity scenes can be visited during the Christmas period, between early December and mid-January, with different opening hours for each exhibition. In the last edition, Meluzzi's mechanical nativity scene in Scacciano opened from 24 December to 6 January, from 2.30pm to 6.30pm; the Tacchi sisters' exhibition, in via Scacciano 57/a, from 8 December to 6 January, on public holidays from 2.30pm to 6.30pm; Righetti's nativity scene, in via Boito 7, from 1 December to 20 January, from 10am to 9pm. Admission is always free of charge. Dates and times may vary from year to year: for the current edition it is advisable to check the programme on the Municipality's website or at the tourist office before visiting.
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