This year marks the fourth edition of the International Exhibition 100 Nativity Scenes at the Vatican, an exhibition that brings together the works of numerous artisans, depicting the Nativity of the Lord, in the varied expressions that the imaginations of these crèches artists are able to conceive and represent in each scene. This is according to a news release from the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization.
Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic has made it difficult to hold events indoors, the exhibition is held in the suggestive space below the Bernini Colonnade in St. Peter’s Square. This unique setting also places the numerous crèches, true works of art, in a setting that invites the visitor, even more, to be in awe in front of the traditional scene of the Nativity of the Lord Jesus.
This year 126 crèches will be exhibited, coming from various nations in Europe, such as Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Croatia, and from other parts of the world, including Kazakhstan, Peru, Indonesia, Uruguay, Colombia, and the United States. Many of these nations are represented by their respective Embassies to the Holy See, which have promoted the event in their respective countries.
Various organizations are participating with distinctive nativity scenes. The company Atac S.p.A. has created a nativity scene on the front of a bus and the company Il Cioccolato dei Trappisti (Trappist Chocolate), has composed a nativity scene weighing 220 pounds (100 kg) and made entirely of chocolate. Like every year, 30 schools in Lazio have also willingly joined the initiative, contributing with nativity scenes made by their children. There are also crèches from several Roman parishes.
The more than 100 nativity scenes capture the inspiration and imagination of the artisans who make them. The materials used vary from paper, fabric, cork, to wood and one can find beautiful dioramas, nativity scenes set in diverse Roman urban neighborhoods, and those made of crochet and coral.
The Exhibition will be open for five weeks, from Sunday, December 5, 2021, to Sunday, January 9, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., every day; admission is free, and no tickets are required. On December 24 and December 31, the exhibition will close early at 5:00 p.m. The last admission to the exhibition is always scheduled no later than 15 minutes before closing time. The entrance to the Exhibition is located inside St. Peter’s Square and all rules for the prevention and containment of the Covid-19 infection will be followed. Volunteers from the Dicastery will welcome visitors throughout the event’s duration.
The Exposition will be inaugurated on Sunday, December 5, 2021, at 4:00 p.m., by His Excellency Most Reverend Rino Fisichella, the President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, in the presence of some members of the Dicastery and of His Excellency Mr. Matthew Shieh-Ming Lee, the Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the Holy See, who will be accompanied by Embassy staff. Artists of the Yang Yu Lin Dance Group, members of the Academy of Dance, will perform original choreography of traditional Taiwanese dances combined with contemporary modern dance techniques. The troupe is directed by Prof. Yang Yu Lin, one of the first female dancers of the legendary Lang Yan Group, founded by the Camillian priest, Fr. Giancarlo Michelini in Taiwan. The soprano, Ms. Liu Mon Chieh, will accompany the dance with her voice.
This year also the realization of this International Exhibition 100 Nativity Scenes at the Vatican has been made possible thanks to the generosity of UnipolSai, which has subsidized the event. Gratitude is also in order to Regia Congressi, for having actively contributed to the Exhibition’s development and to The Media Company and the Il Cioccolato dei Trappisti for their willingness to support the event.
