Borgo Gancia Living Nativity

A Christmas among the stones of Borgo Gancia

In Paternò, a Norman city in the province of Catania dominated by its castle on the historic hill, the Borgo Gancia Living Nativity is one of the most evocative Christmas events in the Etna region. The event winds through the alleys and ancient farmhouses of the medieval village—one of the most characteristic parts of Paternò's historic center—reconstructing the Nativity within a setting of stone and torches that few other living nativities in Sicily can match.

A journey into 19th-century rural life

The route guides visitors through the neighborhood's homes, where dozens of performers in period costumes bring ancient trades to life. You will encounter housewives, farmers, artisans, blacksmiths, and washerwomen engaged in the daily activities of rural Paternò at the end of the 19th century:

• baking bread and preparing traditional sweets;
• working with iron and wood;
• weaving baskets and spinning wool;
• laundry work and field labor.

Everything moves by the light of torches and candles along the hillside, while the sound of bagpipes accompanies visitors' steps all the way to the Nativity hut set up at the foot of the castle.

Traditional flavors

Along the route, there is no shortage of tastings of genuine local peasant products: warm, freshly baked bread, chickpeas, fresh ricotta, and other flavors of the past, offered by the workshops and refreshment points scattered throughout the village alleys.

A resilient tradition

The Borgo Gancia Living Nativity has seen its ups and downs: after the historic company that originally animated it announced its departure in 2019, the event was revived and continues to attract audiences from Paternò and the entire province of Catania during the Christmas season. The organization is led by the Parish of Santa Maria dell'Alto with the involvement of the local community. Admission is always free, and access to the village is via Piazza Santa Barbara.