Cinisi Artistic Mechanical Nativity Scene

A moving Nativity scene in the heart of Cinisi

Every winter, in the municipal hall of the Palazzo dei Benedettini, located in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele Orlando in Cinisi (province of Palermo), one of Sicily's most beloved Christmas displays comes to life: the Artistic Mechanical Nativity Scene by Giacomo and Lorenzo Randazzo. This is not a static display, but a moving microcosm where dozens of miniature figures tirelessly repeat the ancient gestures of Sicilian work, thanks to mechanisms built by hand with artisanal care.

A family tradition spanning generations

The work was born from the passion of Lorenzo Randazzo, who began building the first animated figures between 1955 and 1956. The legacy was later passed on to his son Giacomo, who adds new characters and details every year, expanding a choral narrative that has spanned over sixty years. It is one of the island's longest-running Nativity traditions, now inscribed in the Register of Intangible Heritage of the Sicilian Region (REIS), a recognition that protects its cultural and identity-based value.

Arts and crafts in 1:10 scale

Built to a 1:10 scale using natural materials such as tuff, stone, ceramic, wood, and iron, the Nativity scene covers an area of approximately 60-65 square meters. The mechanical figures represent the entire rural, pastoral, and artisanal civilization of old Sicily:

• the blacksmith hammering iron on the anvil and the carpenter at his workbench;
• the shoemaker, the embroiderer, and the spinner busy at their work;
• laundry women, grain millers, bakers, and potters;
• finely decorated Sicilian carts, mills, ovens, and lathes;
• the famous puppet theatre, a symbol of island identity;
• the Nativity, with the Madonna tirelessly rocking the Baby Jesus.

A journey through Sicilian memory

Visiting the Mechanical Nativity Scene of Cinisi means taking a journey into the collective memory of the town and all of Sicily, rediscovering a world of vanished trades and daily gestures that shaped the island's identity. The attention to detail, the sounds, and the movements make the experience engaging for both adults and children, transforming a simple visit into a living story of history and popular traditions.

When and where

The display traditionally opens in early December and remains open until the second half of January, spanning the Christmas holidays and the period following Epiphany. Admission is by voluntary donation, and visits are generally by appointment, by contacting the Arte e Tradizione Association. An unmissable event for those spending Christmas in the Cinisi area and the province of Palermo.