In depth
What it is
The presepe of Comacchio is not a single work, but a scattered trail of nativity scenes set up in the heart of the city, nicknamed little Venice for its network of canals and bridges. During the Christmas holidays, the figures of the Nativity appear beneath the arches of historic bridges and along the waterways of the centre, creating a presepe that literally reflects in the canals. The trail, promoted by ASCOM Confcommercio Ferrara together with local associations as part of the Natale a Comacchio programme, sits alongside other nativity scenes housed in churches and in some symbolic places of the lagoon city.
What makes it special
What makes this presepe unique is precisely its setting: eleven nativity scenes are placed beneath as many bridges and along the canals, including the famous Trepponti, the Ponte di Borgo and the Ponte degli Sbirri, so that the visit becomes a nocturnal stroll among lights, reflections on the water and eighteenth-century architecture. Among the nativity scenes stands out one made of olive wood from the Holy Land by a craftsman from Bethlehem, linked to the friendship pact between the two cities. The trail also touches unusual places for a presepe, such as the Torre Civica, the Casone di Valle Donnabona and the open-air archaeological park, as well as the Concattedrale, where an eighteenth-century historic presepe is found.
Origins and history
The oldest and most documented presepe tradition in Comacchio is that of the Concattedrale: according to the memoirs of Bishop Giovanni Rondinelli, as early as the late eighteenth century the Bambino service was celebrated on Christmas night with a presepe set up in the main chapel. In 1902 a committee led by Luigi Felletti restored its scenery, with paintings entrusted to master Antonio Manasse. The deterioration of the painted paper led in 1960 to the abandonment of that version, replaced over time by different arrangements, up to the current presepe, created in 1984 on canvas and wood by Giorgio Boccaccini with Nadia Cavalieri, a faithful reproduction of the original. The scattered trail of presepi beneath the bridges and on the canals, today the best-known face of Comacchio Christmas, is instead a more recent initiative linked to the city's Christmas events; the sources consulted do not report a precise date of its first edition nor the name of who conceived it.
What to see
The trail includes the nativity scenes set up at Trepponti, at Ponte di Borgo, at Ponte degli Sbirri, at Ponte San Pietro, at Ponte Pasqualone, at Ponte del Teatro, at Ponte del Carmine, at Ponte Nuovo A.N.M.I., as well as those on the Imbarcazione Comacina in the Canal Maggiore, at the Manifattura dei Marinati and on the Canale Lombardo. In the churches of the centre you can see the eighteenth-century presepe of the Concattedrale and the nativity in wood by Giglio Zarattini and Riccardo Buonafede inspired by valley life, also visible in the Torre Civica area. The trail is completed by the settings at the Casone di Valle Donnabona and in the archaeological park, designed to tell the link between Christian tradition and the lagoon culture of the territory.
When and how to visit
The presepi remain set up throughout the Christmas period, generally from early December until Epiphany: in the last edition the trail was visible from 7 December to 6 January. The nativity scenes beneath the bridges and along the canals are always freely and freely accessible, walking outdoors in the historic centre. For those who want to explore the history of the bridges and nativity scenes, paid guided tours are provided, lasting an hour and a half, scheduled in the last edition on Saturdays at 3.30 pm and Sundays at 11 am, at a cost of 10 euros. For updated opening dates and guided tour schedules it is always advisable to check the official website of the event before visiting.
