The Vatican has cut the cost of the traditional nativity scene mounted every Christmas in St Peter’s Square to €21,800.
The remaining €90,000 cost has been donated by private sponsors who are helping the region of Basilicata realise its dream of providing the nativity scene as a gift to Pope Benedict XVI. In 2011, the Vatican spent €180,000 on its nativity scene; in the past the Vatican has spent as much €550,000 on staging the traditional scene.
The nativity scene has been created by one of the most respected exponents of the southern school of traditional nativity sculpture, Francesco Artese, who is famous for his reproduction of scenes of rural life. Originally from Matera in Basilicata, Artese is known throughout the world for his nativity scenes in cities including New York, Washington DC, Rome, Munich, Paris, Warsaw and Dublin. In 1999, UNESCO commissioned him to create a nativity scene at Bethlehem’s Museum of the Nativity, which recreated the landscape of the Sassi di Matera (Stones of Matera) cave dwellings.
The St Peter’s Square nativity scene covers some 1,615 square feet. It is built of polystyrene, which was then dressed in mortar to give it a stone effect to emulate the architecture found in Basilicata’s Lucanian landscape. The rupestrian churches of San Nicola dei Greci and Convicinio di Sant’Antonio are recognisable, and the bell tower of San Pietro Barisano lies above, standing tall amid a myriad of rooftops.
The nativity scene includes 100 terracotta figures of varying height placed according to perspective. The statuettes measure up to 1 foot high and are dressed in clothing made of starched cloth based on traditional Lucanian peasant costumes. Artese chose to dress the Holy Family with costumes according to classic tradition.
Set designer Mario Carlo Garrambone is in charge of lighting the nativity scene. Garrambone has made the most of Artese’s work by employing lighting and technology commonly used in filmmaking.
The Pope delivers his Christmas message to the world, pronouncing the Urbi et Orbi blessing, at noon today from the central loggia of the Vatican Basilica.
