The Vatican has set up a nativity scene in St Peter's dating back to the 1800s.The large scene - an example of the creche-making skill for which Italy is envied across the Christian world - contains almost life-size statues moved for the occasion from the Church of Sant'Andrea della Valle, scene of the famous opera Tosca.
The delicately wrought statues are the work of acclaimed 19th century artist Vincenzo Palotti, who crafted them in 1842.
This year's nativity scene has Jesus, Mary and Joseph in a rough wooden stable in the lee of the walls of Bethlehem, with a fountain and oven which Vatican sources said respectively symbolise ''purity and regeneration'' and ''the triumph of light over the shadows''.
The tradition of building a manger scene in St Peter's dates back to 1982, when Pope John Paul II introduced it as a way of making Christianity's biggest square more Christmasy. The inauguration of the creche, which traditionally takes place on Christmas Eve, marks the start of a 'peace vigil' in St Peter's with a light kept burning on the balcony from which the pope delivers his sermons.
The St Peter's scene joins another famous creche at the Spanish Steps which has been part of Roman Christmases for years.
Italy is famous for its nativity scenes, dazzling tourists with its many magical representations of the birth of Jesus in the run-up to Christmas.
This year's array of nativity scenes, or 'presepi' as they are called in Italian, come in numerous forms, including animated and life-sized versions set in different periods.
Although presepi here often use Italian landscapes or towns as a backdrop, Mortizzuolo in Emilia Romagna is famous for its realistic portrayal of Palestine 2,000 years ago.
CONCEPT DATES TO 13TH CENTURY
The nativity has been a staple of Italian Christmas here for centuries, and has become something of an art form since the concept originally appeared in the 13th century.
The first recorded nativity scene in Italy was carved from wood by Arnolfo da Cambio in 1280. Some of the original pieces are still preserved in Rome's Santa Maria Maggiore Church today.
The idea quickly caught on, and over the next 200 years, wood or terracotta figures set against painted backdrops became a common feature of churches at Christmas.
Nobles eventually started commissioning personal scenes for their homes, which became increasingly elaborate. In the 1600s, Neapolitan artists moved away from the stylized form of earlier scenes and began setting them within a more natural context.
They frequently featured recognizable elements of the Campania countryside or cities, with figures representing all walks of life, from farmers and peasants through to the nobility, complete with their own sets of jewelry.
The presepe became highly fashionable in Rome in the 17th century, with nobles commissioning renowned artists to create their very own nativity scene. Over the next 100 years, the scenes became such a status symbol that nobles would open their homes to other wealthy families and rich tourists for 'nativity viewings'.
However it was only in the 19th century that the presepe became a standard Christmas fixture for most homes, when poorer families created their own scenes with miniature chalk, terracotta and papier-mache figures.
The popularity of the presepe faded slightly in Italy during the 1960s when the imported concept of the Christmas tree provided an alternative domestic focus. In recent years however, the scenes have regained their appeal.
Today, every town and village in Italy has its own scene, of different sizes and materials (a recent one was made of sand), featuring different eras and geographical backdrops.
Although traditionally inaugurated at midnight on December 24, they are now often open to the public from mid-December, owing to the growing interest of tourists.
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(Source: ANSA)