Italy: Vatican to host Christmas crib exhibition in St Peter’s Square

Rome: The 2020 edition of 100 Presepi, Rome’s international Nativity crib exhibition, will be held under the colonnade of St Peter’s Square, from 13 December until 10 January 2021.

The popular event, which should have been hosted in a Vatican building on nearby Via della Conciliazione, moves outdoors this year due to the covid-19 crisis.

A firm fixture on Rome’s Christmas calendar, each year 100 Presepi hosts some Nativity scenes from across Italy and dozens of other countries.

In addition to contemporary replicas of traditional 18th-century Neapolitan and Sicilian cribs, and 19th-century Roman mangers, there are modern versions made from wood, papier-mâché and terracotta, as well as unconventional materials such as sand, rice and metal.