THE NEAPOLITAN CRIB

Calling it as a representation of the nativity would be to invalidate the reason for which this ritual is perpetuated every year. Saying "Presepe" in Naples implies giving a value to what is done so that the Christmas construction is built in the best possible way. A pagan and religious meaning, which consists of a series of passages as old as the Christmas itself: a meaning that is built starting from the purchase of the statues, in San Gregorio Armeno in particular, to create a theatrical scene that tends to eternity. Every year, at Christmas, the reality is condensed on this staging of statuettes made in various materials, combining past and present in a multitude of characters who are entrusted with the task of reviving the past and the present. 'O Presepio is an event locked up in time; its characteristic is to make it like a playful ritual whom the Neapolitans can't give up to