If you are in Venice during Christmas time, we suggest you take a tour of the churches of Venice to see the nativity scenes set up by the various parishes… One of the most beautiful and famous is certainly that of the Basilica dei Frari, in the San Polo district.
For many years now, the Franciscan friars have been creating a nativity scene that captures the visitor’s attention in the grotto where Mary and Joseph lovingly cradle the Child. At the side, there are the donkey and the ox, unfailing characters of every crib, and the Three Kings, who arrive on January 6. Around the grotto you can admire suggestive scenes of daily life: the potter who works the clay, the woman who spins the wool to the distaff, there are those who drink, those who care for the flocks, those who carry baskets, …
This is a very realistic crib because many of the characters that make it up, such as the cobbler and the potter, are moved by mechanical mechanisms. Even the highly refined attention to detail, such as the proportions of the houses and stores positioned in the crib and the real grass on the lawn where the Nativity is represented, help to create a truly evocative setting.
Finally, the entire crib in the Church of the Frari surprisingly varies its brightness depending on the day and night that alternate in the scenario … A show not to be missed!
Location: Basilica dei Frari, Venice
