Bottega Ferrigno is located in the iconic “Christmas Alley,” part of the southern Italian city of Naples’ historic San Gregorio Armeno neighborhood. / Credit: Gianpiero Passalia/EWTN News
Rome Newsroom, Dec 28, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
On a small street in the center of Naples, Italy, artisans like Giovanni Giudice work to preserve the custom of handcrafted Neapolitan Nativity scenes, a tradition dating back more than 300 years.
“The story of the Neapolitan Nativity scene begins with the Bourbon domination, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and between them … a competition of who made the most beautiful and unique Nativity scene,” Giudice, a third-generation artisan, told Valentina Di Donato of EWTN News. “So from there, the whole story began here in Naples.”
Artisan Giovanni Giudice speaks to EWTN News’ Valentina Di Donato about his hand-crafted Neapolitan Nativity scenes, a tradition dating back more than 300 years, at Bottega Ferrigno in Naples, Italy. Credit: Gianpiero Passalia/EWTN News
