ADVENT CALENDAR 2024

December 15

NATIVITY FROM NAPLES

Naples, Italy
Terracotta, wood, wire, cloth, San Leucio silks
Late 19th- and early 20th-century figures

The figures and structures in this presepio (Nativity scene) were collected over more than three decades by the late Elizabeth Anne Evans of Bucks County during her annual trips to Italy. The “golden age” of the presepio tradition in Naples was the 18th century, when elaborate scenes such as these were presented in churches and in the palaces of aristocratic families. There are four major themes in a traditional Neapolitan presepio: the Nativity of Jesus Christ; the Adoration of the Shepherds; the Adoration of the Wise Men; and the Inn at Bethlehem. In most presepi, as in this one, these four elements are combined into a single scene.

The presepio tradition, which has been called “the translation of the Bible into Neapolitan dialect,” represents daily life in 18th-century Naples, a bustling port city. The figures are clothed in period costumes typical of the aristocracy, peasants, and visiting foreigners. The Nativity miracle is depicted as taking place amid crumbling Roman ruins, signifying the end of the pagan world and the dawn of Christianity.

The scenes of the Holy Family and the “heavenly host” of angels above stand in stark contrast to the earthy life of the inn or tavern. Each presepio is meticulously staged as a quasi-theatrical presentation by a designated artistic director. Kathleen Glenn Pitcairn, an artist from Bryn Athyn with a background in stage design, serves as the director for this presepio.

Gift of Marcia Evans

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