Elena Biagiotti ha nella sua casa una collezione incredibile di circa 350 mini presepi oltre ad un paio di presepi di più grandi dimensioni.
Si tratta di presepi provenienti da tutto il mondo, dalle Americhe, dall’Oceania, dall’Asia e dall’Europa ed anche dall’Africa.
Una collezione, lo ripetiamo incredibile, che non risale ad un lavoro di ricerca lungo di anni, ma che si condensa in un solo lustro, quando Elena ha deciso di realizzare il suo progetto.
The nativity scene or crèche, called in Italian the presepe or presepio, brings to life the story of the Nativity as told in the canonical as well as apocryphal gospels. The presepe (pl. presepi), which literally means “in front of the crib,” has been an important feature of Christmas celebrations in Italy for centuries.
Appearing in churches, piazzas, and living rooms on December 8 (the Feast of the Immaculate Conception), presepi remain up until after January 6, or Epiphany, the feast associated with the visit of the Three Kings or Magi.
While a presepe will always include figures of Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus, many nativity scenes surround the holy family with elaborate reenactments of traditional or contemporary life, complete with local buildings, streets, and pastimes.
Presepi such as these are not just dioramas picturing a legendary event from ancient Palestine, but are mirrors of the known world.