An event not to be missed for all those who love the Christmas atmosphere and want to carry it in their hearts until Epiphany. On Friday, Jan. 5, starting at 6 p.m., Rivisondoli (AQ), a town in the center of the Greater Highlands of Abruzzo, will once again be the stage for Italy’s oldest and best-known “Living Nativity Scene,” now in its 73rd year.
Rivisondoli’s living nativity scene is a religious, cultural and costume event that takes place in Piè Lucente, a fairy-tale mountain setting amid the snow-capped peaks of the mountains bordering the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park and the Majella National Park and Mountains.
To strengthen the link between the sea and the mountains, souls of Abruzzo, since last year’s edition it was decided to select some of the figurants from among residents of different towns and in some cases far from Rivisondoli. This year, among the more than 800 figurants, the mayor of San Giovanni Teatino, Giorgio Di Clemente, will play the role of St. Joseph. Instead, impersonating the Madonnina will be Lisa Pantalone, a 15-year-old student from Roccaraso; while the baby boy, the village’s last born, will be Liam Vittoria, only two months old. Our Lady of the Annunciation will be played by a girl from the coast, Francesca Maria Neri, 17, from Roseto degli Abruzzi (Teramo). The role of Archangel Gabriel will be played by Francesca Perilli, 18, from Rivisondoli, while Maria Claudia Pio, 18, from Castel di Sangro (L’Aquila), has been chosen for the role of Elizabeth.
The event unfolds in pictures that faithfully retrace the Gospel story, starting with a shepherd’s dream by the bivouac fire. Classic Nativity figures enliven the scene: shepherds descend from nearby mountains, costumed women move from the houses of the village, perched at the foot of Mount Calvary, and the Wise Men arrive from afar over a snowy landscape. In a hut lit by a beam of light and overlooked by a core of Angels, Mary and Joseph care for the Child.
A fantastic, yet natural theater, illuminated only by torchlight: a voiceover guides the viewer and gentle music of sounds dilutes the chill of a night full of charm and mystery in the mountains of Abruzzo.
Rivisondoli Living Nativity Website
How to reach the Rivisondoli Living Crib from the A25 highway:
Exit at the PRATOLA P./SULMONA tollbooth.Continue on SR5 toward SULMONA and merge onto the SS17 toward ROCCARASO/SULMONA.Follow the signs for Roccaraso for about 30 km. At about 4 km from Roccaraso, turn onto SP56 towards AREMOGNA and continue for about 1 km until you reach Piè Lucente Plain.
The OMNIA Press and Communications Offices are thanked for the photos.
For more information: coopomnia90@gmail.com – info@presepeviventerivisondoli.it
