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# 50 • DECEMBER 28 , 2014
nice part about visiting this market outside
the Christmas Season is that shoppers can
watch the artisans work and browse their
goods in relative tranquility - while the atmosphere is much more crowded and frenetic
during the Days of Advent. San Gregorio
Armeno represents an important tradition:
for families in Naples, Christmas activities
also include a visit to this charming street,
an obligatory stop before they build their
own Nativity at home. Here visitors will see
top artisans creating, exhibiting and selling
the miniature figures that make up the Nativity scene - masterpieces realized through
the skills passed down from generation to
generation. In particular, in this street you
can find any sort of item suitable for a Nativity scene: from houses big or small, made
in cork or cardboard - to mechanical items
activated by electric energy such as windmills, waterfalls, even hand-painted, terracotta shepherds and 30cm-tall statues in
hand-woven dress. No Nativity personage is
left out, from the Holy Family (including the
ox and the donkey) to the Magi, as well as
the numerous minor characters to complete
the scene: shepherds, fruit vendors, fishmongers, butchers, and even a pizza maker
next to his oven. The predominant aspect of
the typical Neapolitan Nativity is its perfect
fusion between the sacred and the profane - after all, it not only involves the statues
of the Holy Family, the Magi, and the shepherds in every dimension, shape, and price
range, but also very common are parodies
of famous characters from both past and
present. In fact, gaining a spot in the Neapolitan Nativity has become a sort of goalpost for Italian entertainers, politicians and
athletes. These additional caricature figures
in the Nativity embody Neapolitans’ typical
humor and creativity, and have become an
ever more significant fixture in the scenes.
By now, they are the most popular draw
in Via San Gregorio Armeno’s stalls. Some
craftsmen are extra-specialized in realizing
these “original” and of the moment figurines: as soon as a celebrity becomes the
# 50 • DECEMBER 28 , 2014
transformed by young, innovative craftsmen that continue to modernize this centuries-old art.
Where?
Via San Gregorio Armeno connects Naples’ two arterial, east-west roads, the so-called “decumanus”roads: the Maximus (Via dei Tribunali) and the Minimus (Via San Biagio dei Librai). Starting from Via Duomo, we can reach Via San Gregorio by walking one or the other of these two
roads. Or, if going by metro, the easiest way is to get off at Dante Square station (Line 1) and
walk toward Porta Alba. At the end of the street, Via San Sebastiano will lead us to Via Benedetto
Croce. From the Church of Santa Chiara, take the direction opposite its steeple towards Piazza
Gesù Nuovo.
How much?
From the workshops in Via San Gregorio Armeno it is possible to purchase just about any element for building (or expanding) a Nativity scene. However, for those interested in pre-constructed Nativities ready for decorating, costs range from 35 to 45€ for the simplest (yet still
highly-detailed) models. Prices run from a minimum of 30/40€ for a 5cm-tall shepherd, to thousands of Euros for very large reproduction of classic, 18th-Century shephered statues.
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ITALIAN SPORT:
A 2014 FULL OF GOLD
AND SUCCESS
object of gossip, his or her face will be used
for a new statue and, in most cases, some of
the characteristics that brought him fame (or
notoriety) are deliberately represented in an
exaggerated or hilarious way. For example,
Diego Maradona was made into a figure (featuring a soccer ball) when the Napoli team
was at the height of its success; and American
presidential candidates have made appearances as well. Evidently, the Neapolitan Nativity
is not just a staid tradition, but a cultural even t
that follows the flow and trends of the times.
It is a world unto itself, constantly shaped and
2014 was a year full of sports: certainly not the
absolute best of the last years for our country,
but still with important and recognized successes. The characters on the cover are certainly
these: Federica Pellegrini, Vincenzo Nibali,
Marco Belinelli, Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci.
Soccer is missing, and it’s not a surprise: the
National headed by coach Prandelli is was
thrown out in the first round of the World Cup
in Brazil, between the national melancholy.
A swimmer, a cyclist, a basketball player, two
tennis players: Italian sport is confirmed complete and competitive under many viewpoints.
The European Swimming Championships
in Berlin have seen an exceptional Federica
12 | WE THE ITALIANS
WE THE ITALIANS | 13
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