Bariola's magical nativity scene

What it is and where it is

The magical Bariola nativity scene is set up every year in Contrà Bariola in Sant'antonio di Valli del Pasubio, in northwestern Vicenza. It is a special event because it lives on the traditions and stories of the local people: among the narrow streets of the contrada and inside the houses, you will find different scenes of the sacred representation, composed of characters engaged in daily life activities. Their faces are the final touch of enchantment: far from being chosen at random, they reproduce those of the locals, creating a parallel village, as in fairy tales.

Why it is special

The Bariola nativity scene is unique, a cross between the living nativity scenes, thanks to the faces of the people who inhabit and lived in the district, and the mechanical nativity scenes, with a series of movements that animate the typical activities of their daily lives; there are those who work with wood, those who watch the children doing their homework, those who work with dough and those who sew. You immediately find yourself immersed in a timeless fairy tale, you enter homes, with a few simple objects, where you experience the true magical atmosphere of Christmas, made up of simplicity, traditions and love.