2023 marks the 800th anniversary of the crèche (derived from crib in Old French), a tradition that has, for centuries, symbolized the true essence of Christmas. Even the most elaborate crèche scenes of today trace back to the genius of the 13th century Christian impresario St. Francis of Assisi, who sought to recapture the humble nativity story told in the Gospel of Luke.
Troubled by the greed and materialism of his era, Francis borrowed some straw, an ox and a donkey from a friend, and convened a midnight mass on Christmas Eve 1223 in a tiny rock cave outside the Tuscan town of Greccio.
In his biography of Francis, Saint Bonaventure described what happened that night: “The brethren were summoned and the forest resounded with their voices … the night was made glorious by many and brilliant lights and the sonorous psalms of praise … Francis stood before the manger, full of devotion and piety, bathed in tears and radiant with joy … then he preached to the people around the nativity of the baby Jesus, and being unable to utter His name for the tenderness of his love, he called Him the Babe of Bethlehem.”
Francis believed his mission was to bring the message of Jesus closer to the people and to enliven the Holy Scripture. These impulses led him to create the marvel of holiday stagecraft we now take for granted: the nativity display which has evolved into a worldwide tradition practiced continuously by Christians for the last 800 years transcending cultural and geographical boundaries. Whether displayed in a cathedral in Europe or a home in Africa, its essence remains unchanged. It is a call back to simplicity, love and hope.
Featured in this special 800th Anniversary slide show are some of my favorite paintings of the Nativity by Italian Renaissance and Baroque masters interspersed with Angels, who are featured prominently in the Gospels in important roles as messengers announcing the arrival of the baby Jesus.
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Specially for Thanksgiving …
A is for art. Art is to Italy what oxygen is to the human blood stream. It’s been estimated that 60% of the world’s art treasures are in Italy.
B is for Bologna — famous for its gastronomy, the world’s first university, established in 1088, and miles of its harmonious renaissance porticoes.
C is for Carnevale—its balls, masks and revelry.
D is for Dante, one of the greatest poets to have ever lived, and father of the world’s most beautiful language.
E is for Empire. The Roman Empire dominated the Western world for nearly four centuries, leaving a lasting legacy of art, architecture, engineering, literature, language and law.
F is for fashion capital of the world. And, let’s not forget the incomparable Ferrari.
G is for Gelato, the ambrosia of the boot and the luscious refreshment of granita.
H is for hand gestures. Hand gestures are to Italian conversation what punctuation is to writing. Italian gestures are a huge part of what makes an Italian, well, an ITALIAN!
I is for the “inner Italian” — that part of us we all share, regardless of ethnicity, which falls in love most easily and is most spontaneous, expressive and joyful.
L is for living La Dolce Vita, a lifestyle aspiration shared by people the world over.
M is for the Mezzogiorno —sunny, sensual Southern Italy, land of the midday sun and the birthplace of the Mediterranean diet with extra virgin olive oil at its foundation
N is Nebbiolo, the iconic grape hailing from Piemonte, and just one of the countless varietals produced from Italy’s unmatched terroir and numerous fertile micro-climates.
O is for Opera, with all its passion, emotion and theatricality . . . which could only have been invented by Italians! 🙂
P for Parma, the ham and cheese capital of the planet (ha!) with its legendary Proscuitto di Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano as well as a city with an exceptional trove of artistic treasures.
Q is for the Queen Margarita, for whom the margarita pizza was named … and for pizza in general (who could live without it?).
R is for the Renaissance: begun in Florence, and the single greatest intellectual and cultural transformation in world history.
S is for La Serenissima, that place of watery reflections, intrigue, mist and magic.
T is for the Trevi Fountain, Tivoli Gardens and for Roman engineers’ illustrious relationship with water … and all the extraordinary waterworks that grace the Eternal City.
U is for the Uffizi Gallery and its priceless treasury of artistic masterpieces.
V is for the Vatican—its own jurisdiction but nonetheless Italian in, well, spirit.
W is for water buffalo and the creamy rich mozzarella it (she) produces . . . also for wild boar, cinghiale, with its unmistakable savage, almost smoky flavor.
X is for “xitomati” which in Aztec means “plump thing with a navel.” Although no single ingredient conveys Italian cuisine more instantly, the tomato was first cultivated in the New World.
And Z is for Zanni — the clowns of Venice’s Commedia del’Arte. Our word zany comes from Zanni. Nobody represents the spirit of the Zanni better than Roberto Benigni. His very essence invites us to kiss the joy of living, to savoy life’s silly moments, and to embrace our “Inner Italian”.
A mysterious fantasy world awaits in the Sacro Bosco di Bomarzo, colloquially known as the Park of the Monsters—a unique garden with dozens of sculptures of otherworldly creatures based upon classical mythology, all immersed in the natural vegetation.
The park was conceived by the eccentric Renaissance prince Pier Francesco Orsini (1523-1585), the lord of Bomarzo, following the premature death of his beloved wife Giulia Farnese as a way to cope with his grief. He was assisted by one of the most famous architects of the period, also one of the designers of the Tivoli Gardens, Pirro Ligorio. The Orsini family symbol was the bear (orso in Italian).
This ”sacred grove” is considered to be the oldest sculpture park in the modern world, with most of the sculptures carved out of the bedrock on site and blocks of local volcanic peperino stone, typical of the region.
In the last century, surrealist Salvadore Dali would be deeply influenced by the gardens. He made short film there, and the park inspired one of his paintings, The Temptation of Saint Anthony.
Many have attempted to interpret the garden’s meaning, but to little avail. The mascherone (large mask) rock face, which has become the iconic symbol of the park, bears the inscription Ogni pensiero vola, which means “every thought flies,” so perhaps the intention is for our imaginations to take wing.
Bomarzo makes for a great day trip by car from Rome. When in Rome you can also check out Palazzo Zuccari, a 16th-century residence located on the Via Gregoriana just off the Spanish Steps. It is known as the “House of Monsters” for the decorations on its doors and windows, inspired by—surprise!—the Gardens of Bomarzo.
Copyright - Postcards from the Boot.