Are there any of us out there who haven’t seen a nativity display? At home, at school, or in the local parish, the small figurines depicting the birth of Jesus are something that many of us have grown up with.
At least this is true in Italy, where nativities can be found at most homes during Christmas, representing the deep ties that keep us together.
And while most of us know where and how to place the various porcelain characters and their animal companions (shepherds with their flock, angels above the stable, the star in the centre and the ox and the donkey behind the manger, etc.), the fact this particular scene isn’t in really mentioned in the gospels may come as a surprise.
A gospel – in this case, Luke – talks about a manger where Jesus was laid and the shepherds who went to see the newborn baby. But there was no donkey. There were no farm animals, hovering angels in white tunics, or even a crib. In fact, today’s nativity shares little in common with what we think was the original scene and is instead a glorious mix of folklore, religion, and tradition.
In Florence, you can admire a number of nativities from December 8 onwards, and you can find a list of them here!
Nativities in Florence:
1 . Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore
Piazza Duomo
Nativity with life-size terracotta statues; all of them hand-made and placed in the churchyard
2 . Basilica di San Marco
Piazza San Marco
Nativity was permanently relocated to the original niche: the statue of the infant Jesus dates back to 500 AD, while the Madonna, St. Joseph, the ox, and donkey are all from the 700s.
3 . Dante’s Church
Via Santa Margherita
Traditional nativity scene
4 . Church of Santa Maria dei Ricci
Via del Corso
Traditional nativity scene set in Palestine