Local exhibits of nativity scenes gain popularity in Italy

Exhibits of new nativity scenes built by individuals and groups are becoming increasingly popular. The annual “100 Presepi Exhibition” set up in the Piazza del Popolo in Rome in 1976 and moved to the Vatican in 2018, featurs a section “Presepi del Mondo” with contributions from Croatia, Egypt, El Salvador, Peru, Uganda, Iraq, Taiwan, and more. Another section is devoted to presepi made and submitted by school children, churches, labor unions, and private clubs all over Italy. These craft projects, often done by groups, often set the Nativity locally.