The longest running presepe vivente (living crib) in our area and the largest is that of Barga, now in its thirty ninth year. The presepe is also the first of its type we saw when we arrived here over ten years ago and it was a lovely reminiscence to return to it just two days before Christmas.

The participants’ procession weaves its way through the mediaeval alleys of this proud little town in the Serchio valley and owes its immaculate organisation to local Enrico Cosmini.

Around two hundred inhabitants took part in the presepe engaged in representing traditional crafts. They came from Barga and the surrounding villages of Pegnana, Sommocolonia, San Pietro in Campo, Tiglio, Castelvecchio, and Filecchio. Here are some of them weaving, grinding maize, teaching at the school, doing carpentry and beating sacks filled with chestnuts to remove the husks.

A great tradition of the presepi is the appearance of zampognari, or bag-pipe (zampogne) players – shepherds descending from the hills to play before the infant Christ. After all it was they who saw the great host of angels announcing the Virgin birth and it is a custom practised to this day even in the centre of the Roman Catholic church in Rome and something enshrined to glorious musical effect in such works as Handel’s pastoral symphony from his ‘Messiah’ and Corelli’s Christmas concerto.

We stayed for the arrival of the Holy Family accompanied by their donkey.

They finally reached Barga cathedral where a rocket was fired from the bell tower representing the comet, accompanied by the sound of bells and the arrival of the Three Kings.

There was one more day before Christmas and what we did on that evening will have to wait for the next post!