Enjoy our photo gallery of the 2023 nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square and look forward to your next Christmas in Rome.
In 2023, the nativity scene comes from the nearby province of Rieti, where St. Francis set up his first nativity scene 800 years ago in the village of Greccio. The situation 800 years ago is recreated in St. Peter’s Square. In addition to the Holy Family and the shepherds, you can see St. Francis with his confreres. The figures in painted clay are dressed as they were 800 years ago. The structure recreates the rock of the sanctuary of Greccio and the river Velino.
The Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square comes from the Piedmont Alps. The 25-metre-high fir tree was donated by the village of Macra, which has just 40 inhabitants and is located in a picturesque mountain region with beautiful hiking trails.
