On the occasion of the 8th centenary of the representation of the first living nativity scene, commissioned by St. Francis of Assisi in 1223 in Greccio, the Instituto Cultural Italiano presents this evening at 6.30 p.m. the exhibition The Neapolitan Nativity Scene: the image of Christmas between tradition and religiosity.
The ensemble on display is known as the “Nativity Scene of the King”, a spectacular and monumental crib made up of around a hundred original statues from the 18th and 19th centuries, which the ethnologist Lamberto Loria compiled in 1911 for the Exhibition of Italian Ethnography, held in Rome on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Unification of Italy. Today, the crib is part of the collections of popular arts and traditions in the Museum of Civilisations in Rome.
The name “Presepe del Re” was born to create an ideal and historical link with Charles III of Bourbon, King of Naples and Sicily, who, thanks to his passion for the creation of cribs, contributed to give a great impulse and renewal to the art of the crib.
The exhibition is part of The Tale of Beauty, a wide-ranging programme of travelling exhibitions for the promotion of Italian cultural heritage abroad, the result of collaboration between the Directorate General of Museums of the Ministry of Culture and the Directorate General of Public Diplomacy and the Department of Culture of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Admission is free, subject to prior reservation, while places are available. To attend the opening it is necessary to send a reservation request to: alessandra.picone@esteri.it, indicating the name and surname(s) of the person(s) for whom the reservation is being made and a contact telephone number. The exhibition will be open to the public from tomorrow, Saturday, until 20 January 2024. Closed on Mondays and public holidays.
