Initially, the Neapolitan nativity scene was a representation of the birth of Jesus set in 18th-century Naples. But in addition to being a religious symbol, it soon became a true hymn to the craftsmanship of the Campania capital, and for this reason it was also much loved by families who were not very observant or even secular.

The Neapolitan nativity scene of the 18th century became in all respects much more than a simple representation of the birth of Jesus, but a perfect union between the sacred and the profane, a true glimpse of Neapolitan life of the time, where spirituality and daily life merge together. It then began to spread in popular houses, housed in a scarabattola (theca), and consisted of a small rock embellished with shepherds.
It is from that moment that the creation of the shepherds turned into a real profession. In the Neapolitan nativity scene of those times humble and marginalized characters appeared such as: dwarves, women, beggars, goiters, innkeepers, cobblers. A particular aspect was the introduction of the ruins of Greek and Roman temples to underline the triumph of the new religion over paganism.

Among the most famous figurine makers of those times we find: Giuseppe Sammartino, the founder of a school of nativity scene artists, or again, Michele Perrone, skilled in the creation of small parts and Saverio Vassallo, specialized in the creation of animals.

What happened in the 1800s?

The fashion of the nativity scene reached its peak in the 18th century, but from the 19th century onwards it began to fade. Many existing constructions were dismantled, sold or dispersed. Few nineteenth-century creations have survived to the present day. Among these, the royal nativity scene preserved in the Royal Palace of Caserta, and the one donated to the city of Naples by the writer Michele Cuciniello, preserved in the museum of the Certosa di San Martino.