Born in a stable...

Presepio vivente

It's that time of year, between the many meals of Christmas and the festivities of New Year and Epiphany, when families are looking for something to do.

This is the first year that the Pieve di San Giovanni Battista in Campagna (a typically accurate description of the little, restored country church that has strong family connections and was where I was married a few years ago) has put on a 'live' nativity - the sort where folks dress up and pose in a crib scene for other folks to congratulate them and take pictures.

The 12th century baptistry of San Giovanni Battista in Campagna

When we arrived, Mary had just got in a round of vin brûlée (hot wine) for the family, carols were being sung in the chapel as the blacksmith banged away out of time, locals were getting dressed up in Holy Land garb (best to have an extra layer when its so chilly), bread was baking in a wood oven, polenta being stirred over a fire in a cast iron pot.

The holy family in the live nativity, complete with cow and pony

Like most others we stayed a while, took a quick look at everything then left for somewhere warmer - taking care not to run over the silver lamé clad Angel Gabriel (age 4) as we left the the next door field.

Close-up of an original fresco inside the baptistry