The Dream of Saint Alphonsus

A Christmas carol born in Nola

Few people know that "Tu scendi dalle stelle", the most sung pastoral carol in Italy, has deep ties to Nola, a city of art in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania. According to tradition recorded by Father Antonio Maria Tannoia, the saint's first biographer, in December 1754 Alfonso Maria de' Liguori stayed in Nola at the bishop's invitation to preach the novena of the Immaculate Conception: he was a guest at the ancient Palazzo Zamparelli, and it was during those days that the song destined to become the soundtrack of the Italian Christmas took shape. This shared memory inspired "The Dream of Saint Alphonsus", the historical-religious re-enactment that the Pro Loco Nola Città d'Arte has presented every December since 2015.

A travelling theatrical performance

This is not a traditional show with a stage and seating, but a travelling performance that winds through the heart of the city: the audience is guided along a short route between the ancient Palazzo Zamparelli and the Pro Loco headquarters, housed in the former church of San Giuseppe. The streets and courtyards of the historic centre become, in turn, the Nola of the 18th century, the road to Bethlehem, the inn, and the nativity scene. The narrative shifts from historical reality to a dreamlike and spiritual dimension, following Joseph, Mary, and the characters they meet along the way: travellers, innkeepers, and shepherds.

Local theatre companies from the Nola area

The strength of the event lies in the collective participation of theatre groups from the Nola area, united since 2024 in the "Rete Pro Loco Nola", created specifically to support companies involved in sacred plays and historical re-enactments. Recent editions have featured, among others:

• Compagnia Stabile Nolana Pipariello
• Il Dialogo
• Gruppo d'Arte Drammatica Radici
• O' Spassatiempo
• Hyria
• ProTeatro
• La Quinta Nera
• ComeTe
• Ars et Cultura
• Giovani all'Opera
• I Sognattori

In total, over twenty actors, extras, and musicians, mostly volunteers, meticulously recreate the costumes, trades, and atmosphere of the 18th century.

A recognized intangible heritage

"The Dream of Saint Alphonsus" has been included by UNPLI in the Radici Culturali portal, the national database dedicated to rites, traditions, and festivals protected by Italian Pro Loco associations. The initiative has also received the moral patronage of the Diocese of Nola, the Municipality of Nola, and the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, the order founded by Saint Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori himself.

Inside the Nola Christmas

The re-enactment is the flagship event of a broader Christmas calendar curated by the Pro Loco, which in recent editions has included a Christmas market with crafts and street food at Parco Mastrilli, Santa's Grotto, end-of-year concerts, toasts at the association's historic headquarters, and the traditional bagpiper parade through the streets of the centre. A programme designed for families and children, blending popular devotion, theatre, and conviviality.

Nola, a city of art in Campania

Nola rises in the Campanian plain between Mount Vesuvius and the Partenio mountains, about thirty kilometres from Naples. It is the city of Saint Paulinus, famous worldwide for the Festa dei Gigli, recognized by UNESCO, and preserves a heritage ranging from the Roman amphitheatre to the cathedral, and from noble palaces to the churches of the centre. Attending "The Dream of Saint Alphonsus" in December is also an opportunity to discover the wintery, more intimate side of a city that has made popular tradition its identity.