San Gregorio Armeno, the street of nativity scenes that combines tradition with current events

Who goes to Napoli you cannot fail to go to San Gregorio Armeno, the famous street of nativity scenes, which attracts visitors from all over the world more than ever during the Christmas period. Located in the heart of the city, San Gregorio Armeno, with its numerous shops, offers passers-by the opportunity to admire the fruit of nativity scene art, masterfully created throughout the year by local workers.

Real works of art, with attention to the smallest details, from traditional ones to those that draw inspiration from reality. The nativity scene masters, in fact, handcraft not only figurines that reproduce the protagonists of the Neapolitan nativity scene, but also others that portray politicians, athletes and famous people of today.

Authentic masterpieces of Neapolitan art

San Gregorio Armeno, between Via dei Tribunali and the well-known Spaccanapoli, is an open-air museum. Here, inside the shops and outside, authentic masterpieces of Neapolitan terracotta art are on display.

Thanks to the great skill of the craftsmen, these highly realistic works evoke great spirituality. At this time of year and throughout the month of December, San Gregorio Armeno is full of tourists. People flock from all over the world to admire these extraordinary masterpieces and, possibly, purchase some to include in their nativity scene. The street can be visited throughout the year, as almost all the shops are always open and display their products.

An ancient story

San Gregorio Armeno has a very ancient history. The street is of Roman origin and housed the Roman temple consecrated to Ceres, goddess of fertility and the earth. To the temple, the Neapolitans brought terracotta statuettes as votive offerings which were made in the artisan workshops already present on the street. In the XNUMXth century, a monastery was built on the foundations of the ancient Roman temple. Some nuns of the order of Saint Basil moved to this sacred place. These, having escaped from Constantinople due to the iconoclastic persecution, and having arrived here, deposited the relics of Saint Gregory, bishop of Armenia.

With the spread of Christianity and the representation of the Nativity, rich Neapolitan families commissioned local artisans to create characters from the Christian Gospels. In the mid-eighteenth century, San Gregorio Armeno became "the street of nativity scenes", where skilled masters handcrafted statuettes so beautiful and original that they became famous throughout the world. Since then, this tradition continues to be carried forward, with great passion, skill and Neapolitan pride.

(Photo: San Gregorio Armeno; San Gregorio Armeno via dei nativity scenes, Facebook pages)