The tradition of the Christmas crib dates back to the period when Saint Francesco of Assisi lived. He produced the first living representation of the Nativity in Greccio in 1223.
Even if there were some representations of the birth of Jesus Christ even before that period through pictures, icons and images, it was during the medieval age that the liturgic representations took place.
The first crib to be sculptured was that made by Arnolfo di Cambio between 1290 and 1292.
The statues which survived are collected in the Museum Liberiano of the Basilica of S. Maria Maggiore in Rome.
In the XV century a tradition began to take place: that of putting some big statues in the churches ; this tradition spread even in the XVI century.
One of the first ancient cribs is the monumental one of the Basilica of Saint Stephen in Bologna which is done every year at Christmas.
From the XVII century on the tradition of the crib began to be spread in the houses of the aristocratic people too as "objects of the furniture" or mini chapels.
In the XVIII century in Naples there was a real competition among thee aristocratic families that wanted to have the most beautiful and precious crib. Statues were dressed with precious clothes and put on valuable jewels. In the same century in Bologna,which is the other city which boasts the most ancient tradition of Christmas cribs, the famous fair of Saint Lucia took place as a sort of annual market where the handmade statues by the local craftmen were sold. This fair takes place every year even today after more than two centuries.
Even if there were some representations of the birth of Jesus Christ even before that period through pictures, icons and images, it was during the medieval age that the liturgic representations took place.
The first crib to be sculptured was that made by Arnolfo di Cambio between 1290 and 1292.
The statues which survived are collected in the Museum Liberiano of the Basilica of S. Maria Maggiore in Rome.
In the XV century a tradition began to take place: that of putting some big statues in the churches ; this tradition spread even in the XVI century.
One of the first ancient cribs is the monumental one of the Basilica of Saint Stephen in Bologna which is done every year at Christmas.
From the XVII century on the tradition of the crib began to be spread in the houses of the aristocratic people too as "objects of the furniture" or mini chapels.
In the XVIII century in Naples there was a real competition among thee aristocratic families that wanted to have the most beautiful and precious crib. Statues were dressed with precious clothes and put on valuable jewels. In the same century in Bologna,which is the other city which boasts the most ancient tradition of Christmas cribs, the famous fair of Saint Lucia took place as a sort of annual market where the handmade statues by the local craftmen were sold. This fair takes place every year even today after more than two centuries.
