The history of the Nativity scene

The crib or the crib? Those of you who has ever asked this question?

Already in the old Latin we find the two terms to represent the Nativity scene-christmas Crib “praesaepe and praesaepia”, then resumed with the advent of the vernacular in the forms of local and both the terms are present in the writings of the fathers of the Italian language. The meaning is that already the Latin, literally a stable, a manger. The first mention of this word we find in the Gospel of Luke (2,6-16) “the manger where was the place Jesus at birth, together with the cave in which they stood”.

It is thought that the precursor of the nativity and St Francis Of Assisi, who, after having attended some of the liturgical dramas of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, in 1223, he returned to Italy and asked the Pope for permission to reproduce them. Unfortunately, he was denied permission, but he managed to organise a mass for Christmas night in a cave that was lit by torches and in which it was set up a manger filled with straw with the donkey and the ox. It wasn't exactly a nativity scene as we know it today, but it was more just a representation of the liturgy.

In 1283, Arnolfo di Cambio, the famous sculptor of the time, he created the first nativity scene with 8 marble statues representing the Nativity and the three Kings.

From that moment on, little by little, the nativity scene will be part of the Christmas tradition as a symbolic representation of the birth of Jesus; over the centuries, the nativity scene has undergone several changes of style as a consequence of the contamination of the artistic traditions of the place. Between the styles, the most important and well-known: the Nativity from the people, The Neapolitan Crib style 700 and Palestinian also said the Nativity scene in the East.

In addition to the stylistic evolutions, the nativity in the course of the years has also suffered a noticeable change in the use of the materials used for the construction of the scenery and buildings (huts, houses, castles etc....); the most striking can be seen in the statues for the crib due to the wide choice in terms of characters, materials used and elevation, as are produced statues from 1,5 cm up to the statues to their natural height.

Until arriving to our days with the use of modern technology even to the crib, to be able to make the most possible realistic and charming, in fact some of the examples we can find in the use of electronic effects for the crib (units day and night, sound effects, projectors, illuminators for star fiber optic, snow effect...), water games for waterfalls, fountains, brooks, etc... and statues in motion for the crib totally mechanized in different heights and materials: terracotta, resin and plastic.

In order to adapt to the pace of life more frenetic, are also available of the ready-made kits with everything necessary for the realization of the crib, diy, rather than nativity scenes complete and ready to be exposed.