December 9100 Presepi…we went to see an exhibit of 100 Nativity Scenes. Some were the 700 year old Sicilian style and some were very modern. Artists from all over the world had made Nativity scenes…or Presepi for this 40th International exhibition. The ancient Sicilian style is a scene of an entire village with all of the inhabitants going about their daily lives. Rocks, caves, houses, hills, homes, shops, vegetation, people, animals and tucked somewhere in the diorama is a nativity scene with Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, Angels, shepherds, and wise men. The detail is as exacting as it can be made, and many parts are automated now. Running water, flickering fires and the people moving. Women washing clothes, weaving, spinning, knitting, cooking, rolling dough, bouncing babies. Men herding livestock, fishing, cutting wood, shoeing horses, cooking pizzas. We have seen some of these that are huge. In this exhibit they were smaller, but still with incredible detail.The more modern ones were made of Terra cotta, bread dough, wood, glass, pottery, beeswax, fabric and straw, cork, paper and cardboard, bamboo, wire, feathers, steel, stained glass, wool, corn stalks, felt, a painted ostrich egg, lace, pasta and rice, River sand, foil, clay, shells, spun sugar. One was made from parts of a Fiat 500 with spark plugs, valves and a muffler. One was made from ping pong paddles, balls and net. A very modern one was made of glass and crystals. One of the tiniest was made with seeds and spices. There is also a large, life sized one in St. Peter’s Square. This was a wonderful exhibit…and my favorite are the very detailed Sicilian style ones.