But try displaying more than 100. For 33 years the foundation, Rivista delle Nazioni, has been setting up over 100 presepi, or nativity scenes, for Christmas.

Stefano Spada
Rivista delle Nazioni (Italy)
The first edition was just called the Nativity Scene Expo.  During the 70s the Nativity Scene tradition was losing popularity. In fact more families were putting up more Christmas trees than presepi. So the journalist Manlio Menaglia wanted to rescue the tradition with a small exhibit, he had only 6 nativity scenes.

Today this exhibit holds 186 nativity scenes in all shapes and sizes like this tiny one inside of a rose. Children get in on the action when it comes to this elaborate mechanical presepi.

Maire Ready
Visitor
This is really awesome. I love all the different perspectives on the same scene. My favourite part is looking at the faces of all the individuals. Some of them are completely blank and some you can really tell the expression.

Ashley Talley
Visitor
I'm used to the same one, but just seeing so many different like there is one made out of ties. I don't know how they got the idea.

It's not hard to get all tied up when looking at so many Nativity Scenes. One might have to hold back their sweet tooth when taking a look at this one made out of candy, or have dreams of going off into space with this wacky lunar Scene. Every year a new batch of presepi are picked. Anyone can submit their presepi by submitting a photo of the display to the website www.presepi.it

Nila Rubino
100 Presepi
Together with the application you can send us a photo.  After selecting the participants a jury decides which Nativity Scene will go to the exhibit each year.

The exhibit is open until January 5th in the famous Piazza del Popolo in Rome. Many of the Nativity scenes displayed here are dedicated to a place, a story, a cause or a special person.