Anch'io... Presepio - Nativity Art Exhibition

The Neapolitan nativity scene at home in Villa Bruno

Every winter, in San Giorgio a Cremano, within the metropolitan city of Naples, the Villa Bruno complex opens its halls to one of the longest-running nativity exhibitions in Campania. «Anch'io... Presepio» is not just a simple Christmas display: it is a story, renewed year after year, of an art form that remains a living craft on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, made of cork, terracotta, fabric, and light.

The exhibition traditionally opens on December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and remains open until January 6th: exactly one month that spans the entire Neapolitan Christmas season, from the setting up of the first scenes to the arrival of the Three Wise Men.

A festival now in its 32nd edition

The edition inaugurated on December 8, 2025, is the thirty-second, a rare milestone for an event born and grown through cultural volunteering. It is curated by the Italian Friends of the Nativity Association at their San Giorgio a Cremano branch, with artistic direction by Michele M. Ippolito and the support of the municipal administration. The event is part of the «Natività Vesuviana… terra che produce bellezza» program, now in its 19th edition and supported by the Campania Region's Cohesion Agreement.

What to see at the exhibition

The exhibition route gathers works by nativity masters and enthusiasts from across the region. The main sections include:

• Master-crafted sets, large environments built piece by piece, often animated by light and water effects.
• Traditional Neapolitan nativity scenes, featuring dressed shepherds and philological attention to period costumes.
• Nativity miniatures, the most surprising specialty: entire nativities enclosed in tiny spaces.
• Workshop artifacts from the association and local schools.
• A section dedicated to works created by people with disabilities, the inclusive heart of the exhibition.

A community project

More than just a showcase, «Anch'io... Presepio» functions as a permanent laboratory. The exhibition revolves around training courses promoted by the Municipality, local schools, artisans, and third-sector organizations: the stated goal is to pass on a technique at risk of being lost while maintaining a space for social interaction in the heart of winter. This is also why admission remains free: the exhibition aims to be a cultural service for the city, not a ticketed event.

Villa Bruno, the setting

Villa Bruno is a historic residence with a public park, now a cultural hub for the Municipality of San Giorgio a Cremano and a regular venue for city initiatives. Its location, just a short walk from the center and well-connected to Naples, makes it a convenient stop even for those arriving from outside: a visit to the exhibition is easily combined with a walk in the park and other Christmas events held in the same space.

When to visit

On weekdays, the exhibition is only open in the afternoon, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM; on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, morning hours are added from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM. Peak attendance occurs on pre-Christmas weekends and Epiphany, when the visit becomes a family ritual. Those looking for more calm should choose a weekday afternoon, when it is also easier to chat with the masters present in the room.

The nativity scene in the Vesuvius area

The San Giorgio a Cremano exhibition is not an isolated episode: it is part of a circuit involving several municipalities on the slopes of Vesuvius, including Portici, Massa di Somma, Pollena Trocchia, San Sebastiano al Vesuvio, and Volla. Visiting it means coming into contact with one of the strongest identity traditions in Campania, one that for centuries has made the nativity scene not just a devotional object, but a miniature popular theater where the sacred coexists with the workshops, trades, and faces of the city.