In depth
What it is
Le Vie dei Presepi di Corniolo is a widespread Christmas trail through the streets and squares of Corniolo, a small mountain hamlet in the municipality of Santa Sofia, in the Forlì Apennines, at the gateway to the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona e Campigna. During the festive season the village transforms into a sort of open-air gallery: dozens of nativity scenes, set up by families, residents, schools and local associations, appear along the alleyways, on doorways and in corners of the historic centre. The initiative is organised by Pro Loco Corniolo Campigna and provides the setting for an artistic nativity scene competition open to all, as well as the broader Villaggio di Natale that brings the village to life during the holidays.
What makes it special
The distinctive feature of Le Vie dei Presepi is not a single monumental nativity scene, but their multiplication: dozens of different nativities in technique, materials and dimensions, scattered among the houses and streets of a mountain village, so that visiting means walking through the entire village like an open-air itinerary. Alongside the free trail through the streets there is a competition exhibition: those wishing to participate present their own work, made with any technique and material (in past editions with a declared limit of 1.50 by 1 metre), which is displayed and judged at the Centro Ambientale in the village both by an expert jury and by public vote, with visitors expressing their preference in a special register. Around the nativity scenes, in recent editions, a proper Villaggio di Natale has also grown with the Casa di Babbo Natale, the Ufficio Postale degli Elfi, children's workshops and donkey walks, partly realised thanks to funds from the Bando Borghi of the PNRR.
Origins and history
Available sources do not precisely document the year the event was founded nor a single creator: Pro Loco Corniolo Campigna has been organising it for some time, and local chronicles mention it as early as the mid-2010s, a sign of an established tradition in the village. Over the years the initiative has grown, adding to the simple trail among the street nativity scenes a competition exhibition with cash prizes for the nativity most voted by the public and the one preferred by the jury, and opening up to schools and associations beyond individual residents. More recently the event has become the heart of a broader Villaggio di Natale, also supported by PNRR funds for villages, which has brought shows, markets and family entertainment, contributing to an increasingly large public attendance.
What to see
Walking through Corniolo during the festive season you encounter nativities of all kinds: traditional and modern nativity scenes, handcrafted and homemade, housed in niches, shop windows, entrance halls and small installations along the streets and in nearby hamlets. The works entered in the competition are collected and displayed at the Centro Ambientale in via della Madonna, headquarters of the park and Pro Loco, where they remain on view until the winners are announced. During the Christmas period the village also hosts the other elements of the Villaggio di Natale: the Casa di Babbo Natale and the Ufficio Postale degli Elfi in the village houses, a workshop for young children in piazza Pasquale II, the Casetta delle Delizie with gastronomic specialities from the area and the Bottega dei Regali with local crafts, as well as concerts, animated readings and guided excursions in the woods of the Foreste Casentinesi.
When and how to visit
Le Vie dei Presepi takes place every year between mid-December and Epiphany. In the latest edition, that of 2025-2026, the trail and Villaggio di Natale were scheduled from 13 December to 6 January, with the nativity scene competition and prize-giving around Epiphany; for the following edition it is advisable to check the updated dates on Pro Loco and municipal channels, without taking them for granted. The trail through the village streets is free and open at any time of day. The individual themed huts, such as that of Babbo Natale and the Ufficio Postale degli Elfi, in the latest edition opened at weekends from 3pm to 5pm. For information and to participate in the competition you can contact Pro Loco Corniolo Campigna, also through its Facebook page.
