Thanks to the success of the National Living Crib events at Matera (Basilicata) and Greccio (Lazio), organized by the Union of Italian Local Tourist Information Offices (UNPLI), this very special Italian Christmas representation will be extended to take place in a northern Italian region in 2013, UNIPLI President Claudio Nardocci recently announced.  

The Matera reconstruction of the Nativity, involving hundreds of costumed extras thronging the streets and grottoes of the rugged cave-city where Mel Gibson filmed Christs Passion, was introduced two years ago, drawing a great number of spectators and visitors. The Greccio event was a re-enactment on a vaster scale of the very first living  allegedly set up on Christmas eve by St. Francis of Assisi for the benefit of his peasant parishioners. It took place on the 30 December at the Greccio Sanctuary and also incorporated part of the local tract of the Via Francigena, the traditional pilgrims route between Canterbury in England and Rome. A special guest of the event was the mayor of the town of Bethlehem, with which Greccio is twinned.

Info: www.unpli.info/