Il presepe. Tradizioni del Natale a Napoli

Behind the tradition of the nativity scene lies a world that has existed and endured for centuries. It is the work of generations of artisans, heirs to a refined and spectacular art that conquered Europe, as demonstrated by the admiring pages of foreign travelers. This volume effortlessly traces the history and tradition of the nativity scene in Naples, the great artists of the "golden age," the scenes and the symbolism of places and characters, drawing on the most authoritative studies and testimonies, accompanied by rare images from the late nineteenth century. The traditions of Christmas in Naples are brought to life in the affable narrative of Francesco Mastrani and the amiable irony of Carlo del Balzo; In Luigi Natoli's Cantata dei Pastori and in Edoardo Boutet's ramshackle self-propelled nativity scene (which "frizzes"). This journey through the history of nativity scene art is not a dusty, antiquarian chronicle, but rather the tale of traditions that still live on today in stunning displays, still capable of intriguing and astonishing. Ultimately, with its multitude of colorful characters, the Neapolitan nativity scene perhaps has precisely this purpose: to not leave us indifferent, to not make us feel alone.