In depth
What it is
The Rassegna dei Presepi di Terra del Sole is a Christmas exhibition that for decades has brought life to the small fortified town of Terra del Sole, a hamlet of Castrocaro Terme e Terra del Sole, in the province of Forlì-Cesena. Every winter the Palazzo Pretorio, in piazza d'Armi, opens its halls to host around a hundred handcrafted nativity scenes, created by enthusiasts, families, schools and local groups. The initiative is organised by the local group Amici del Presepio together with the Pro Loco di Terra del Sole, and is part of the wider Christmas programme of the village, which also includes bonfires and mulled wine in the square.
What makes it special
What distinguishes this exhibition is the setting in which it takes place: not a single church, but the halls of a sixteenth-century Renaissance palace, built by Cosimo I de' Medici as the seat of the Tuscan commissioners, with its courtyard, loggia and ancient courtroom providing the backdrop to the Nativity scenes. The nativity scenes on display, around a hundred each edition, are very diverse in technique, materials and size: ranging from carved wood to crocheted figurines, from miniatures to almost life-size figures, including works made by local schools and displays inspired by international traditions. On opening days, a fire is lit in piazza d'Armi and mulled wine is offered to visitors, creating a festive atmosphere throughout the walled village.
Origins and history
Available sources do not report a precise founding date, but the number of editions allows us to place the birth of the exhibition towards the end of the 1980s: the 2025-2026 edition is in fact the thirty-seventh. The initiative is carried forward by the group Amici del Presepio di Terra del Sole, in collaboration with the local Pro Loco, with the aim of depicting the birth of Jesus through the work of local craftsmen and enthusiasts. Over the years the exhibition has expanded, adding to the display in the halls of Palazzo Pretorio guided tours of the village, side events such as evening fires and mulled wine in piazza d'Armi, which have become an integral part of the Christmas tradition of Terra del Sole.
What to see
Visitors walk through the halls of Palazzo Pretorio, or Palazzo dei Commissari, among ancient coats of arms, the Renaissance courtyard and the old courtroom, finding at every step a different nativity scene: classic Nativity settings alongside scenes inspired by rural life in Romagna, small-scale nativity scenes and others with almost life-size figurines, works in wood, plaster, terracotta, fabric and crochet. Many pieces are the work of schools, associations and families from the area, others recall nativity traditions from other regions or countries. Outside the palace, the setting itself is part of the visit: Terra del Sole is a fortified citadel commissioned in the sixteenth century by Cosimo I de' Medici, with walls, gates and piazza d'Armi that recreate the atmosphere of an ideal Renaissance village, evocative on winter evenings lit by the fire burning in the square.
When and how to visit
The exhibition is held every year during the Christmas period, traditionally from late December until Epiphany or the first days of January; in the last known edition opening was indicated from 22 December to 6 January. Opening hours for the last edition were from 10am to 12.30pm and from 3pm to 6.30pm every day, with the possibility, in the weeks following the holidays, of visits by appointment on weekdays. Admission is free, with a voluntary donation welcome to support the initiative. Dates and times for the next edition are not yet certain: it is advisable to check them year by year by contacting the Pro Loco di Terra del Sole before visiting.
