The living nativity scene of Caltabellotta

Nativity scene enthusiasts cannot miss the living one that is organized every year in Caltabellotta, in the province of Agrigento, and which transforms the town into a real one every April Bethlehem, transporting visitors to an enchanted universe. Here, then, why visit the living nativity scene of Caltabellotta, how to reach the location and what to do during the event.

Description of the living nativity scene of Caltabellotta

The living nativity scene of Caltabellotta is an event that involves believers and non-believers and which sees the collaboration of an entire nativity scene who, for a few days, transform their beloved village into the Bethlehem of the past, to stage the birth of Jesus.

As always happens on these occasions, then, the purely religious event merges with the more exquisitely worldly part, so visitors will also be able to find the part dedicated to food and wine stands, which aim to make known the excellence of the territory but also the culinary tradition especially dedicated to the Christmas period. There is no shortage of shows and other entertainment, both for adults and children.

The story linked to the nativity scene of Caltabellotta

In reality there is no particular story to narrate the birth of the event dedicated to the living nativity scene of Caltabellotta. Surely the tradition of the living nativity scene is strongly rooted in Italy and in the south in particular, but the spark that ignited the willingness of the organizers to set up the first living nativity scene started from the observation of the village, which Horseshoe around the mountain and which presents a typically graduated disposition of the houses, as also happens in the classic nativity scene.

The first edition of the event was organized in 1994 with the aim of making the Caltabellotta area known to an ever wider public, and since then it has been a real riot, with the number of visitors increasing year by year. .

When the nativity scene event takes place, you live in Caltabellotta

The event that stages the living nativity scene of Caltabellotta it is held every year in the month of December, usually close to Christmas days and then to those of the Epiphany. Obviously the choice is not accidental because the event involves the village and the entire population, so it must necessarily be set up on non-working days.

Where the event takes place

Even if it is not a very large village, the living nativity scene of Caltabellotta is mainly organized in the Pieta district, which lends itself well to this representation since it is made up of narrow and winding streets. The route that is proposed to visitors then unravels up to Caves of San Cono where obviously the cave in which Jesus was born is set up.

What to do during the event

The peculiarity of the living nativity scene in Caltabellotta is the fact that it involves not only the whole town but also its citizens: on the days in which it is set up, the inhabitants of the Pietà district and not only dress up and give life to a real Bethlehem.

The houses and shops that overlook the alleyways up the hill are transformed into activities of the past, re-proposing glimpses of life in the past: the visitor is guided to follow a percorso which is not marked by the light of the street lamps but by that of small bonfires found along the streets.

The crucial point of the living crib, then, is the cave of San Cono within which the birth of Jesus with the comet star to show the way. Finally, everything is accompanied by the sound of the zampone and the scent of typical Christmas dishes.

How is it possible to get to Caltabellotta

To get to Caltabellotta and visit the living nativity scene, it is necessary from Palermo and from Trapani take the A29 and then continue on SS386 or on SS115.

Those coming from Catania, on the other hand, will use theA19 to then continue with the previous state roads.

Caltabellotta is also interested in a service of local busesprovided by the company ATS while as far as trains are concerned, it does not have its own station but you can reach the closest one in Castelvetrano and then continue from there with the bus service.