And this was taken at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli (Saint Mary of the Angels - the original one!) at Assisi on 27th of June.
St Francis is intmately linked with the nativity scene:
In the year 1223, St. Francis, a deacon, was visiting the town of Grecio to celebrate Christmas. Grecio was a small town built on a mountainside overlooking a beautiful valley. The people had cultivated the fertile area with vineyards. St. Francis realized that the chapel of the Franciscan hermitage would be too small to hold the congregation for Midnight Mass. So he found a niche in the rock near the town square and set up the altar. However, this Midnight Mass would be very special, unlike any other Midnight Mass.
St. Bonaventure (d. 1274) in his Life of St. Francis of Assisi tells the story the best:
It happened in the third year before his death, that in order to excite the inhabitants of Grecio to commemorate the nativity of the Infant Jesus with great devotion, [St. Francis] determined to keep it with all possible solemnity; and lest he should be accused of lightness or novelty, he asked and obtained the permission of the sovereign Pontiff. Then he prepared a manger, and brought hay, and an ox and an ass to the place appointed. The brethren were summoned, the people ran together, the forest resounded with their voices, and that venerable night was made glorious by many and brilliant lights and sonorous psalms of praise. The man of God [St. Francis] stood before the manger, full of devotion and piety, bathed in tears and radiant with joy; the Holy Gospel was chanted by Francis, the Levite of Christ. Then he preached to the people around the nativity of the poor King; and being unable to utter His name for the tenderness of His love, He called Him the Babe of Bethlehem.
Read the rest here.
I'd love to be in Italy at this time of the year:
In 18th century Naples, creating presepi developed into a fine art, with figures carved in wood or formed in terracotta by leading sculptors and included entire villages, with houses, food, musicians, all the shops and artigiani (artisans) and craftspeople of that time period:
Source: Italian Notebook
More from Naples:
Village Scene in Via San Gregorio Armeno
(James Martin, Europe Travel)
Santa Chiara Church Presepe
(James Martin, Europe Travel )
Close up of Presepe Scene in Santa Chiara Church
(James Martin, Europe Travel )
More photos.
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