Presepe season!

[Bruno]

Presepe started opening on Christmas Eve all over Italy and Le Marche is no exception. The Diocese of Ascoli Piceno has at least 28 in and around the city. Most of these are open afternoons between 4 and 7 PM. Most will close after 6 Jan.

The whole town of Quintodecimo on the Via Salaria has presepe scattered around the village and two of my favorites are the ones at Chiesa Madonna del Carmine at the east end of Ascoli Piceno's centro storico and the elaborate ones in the caves below Monsampolo del Tronto.

[Gala Placidia]

The "presepe" displays throughout the country is one of the things I enjoy the most in Italy. As you rightly say, some of them are very elaborated works of art but I love even the simple ones.

[Sally Donaldson]

Gala, do they not have them then to the same extent in Spain??? In Kensington High Street there is always one at the entrance gate of a Catholic Church there (but not outside the one in the Carmalite Church In Kensington Church Street but then maybe theirs is inside)

[Gala Placidia]

Yes Sally, but the tradition was "imported" by King Charles III of Spain who was also King of Naples. The first Nativity crèche was shown at the Royal Palace and it came directly from Naples. It is still shown to the public at certain dates. The Spaniards like it so much that they copied the idea and nowadays there is a "belén" or "presepio" in every house as well as churches and public buildings. Perhaps the nativity scene owned by the Carmelite Church is too valuable to be shown outdoors.

[Angie and Robert]

You have reminded me, Presepe in Piano di Falerone was cancelled and is now on the 6th of Jan.
A