Away in a Manger: The Creation of Nativity Scenes

Upcoming Exhibit

Detail photo of a Neapolitan crèche by Cantone and Costabile featuring the Holy Family among Roman ruins with two Magi, two shepherds, and three townspeople looking on.

November 9, 2024 – February 2, 2025

Dechant Galleries

She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7

The Gospel of St. Luke provides the only description of where Christ was born, as it mentions him being placed in a manger. This suggests that Mary gave birth in a stable. Although many stables of this region and time period were built in caves, crèches, the three-dimensional representation of the nativity scene, have a diversity of stables and settings, including the most commonly used type of stable, an open-front wood structure. However, many artisans model their crèches after buildings and landscapes that are native to their homelands.

This exhibit includes a variety of crèches that showcase different examples of stables and mangers. In addition, it also highlights the creation of a handful of crèches that have settings customized to display the figures. These crèches include, the Marcel Carbonel Santons of Marseille, France, Fontanini of Bagni di Lucca, Italy, the Neapolitan crèche by Cantone and Costabile of Naples Italy, and the newest additions to our collection by United States based Navidad Nativities: the St. Francis Nativity, with figures by Ulpe Wood Art and St. Mary’s crèche with figures by Original Heide, both from Italy.

PLAN A VISIT