The Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi will welcome a monumental nativity scene created with sand from Jesolo on the occasion of the celebrations for the 800th anniversary of the first nativity scene in history. An exhibition dedicated to San Francesco will be held in Jesolo.
The sand of Jesolo becomes a majestic nativity scene in Assisi. The Basilica of San Francesco will host a monumental creation dedicated to the Nativity during the Christmas period, while the well-established Jesolo Sand Nativity will take shape in the city, now in its 21st edition.
The work will be carried out in the lower square of San Francesco, in the area in front of the lower entrance to the basilica. It will have a dimension of 8 meters in length, 4 in height and 4 in depth. The work will see the Holy Family represented with Saint Francis and the angels.
The announcement was made today during a press conference called by the municipal administration together with the General Custody of the Sacred Convent of San Francesco dei Frati Minori Conventuali and which was attended by mayor Christofer De Zotti, the tourism councilor Alberto Maschio, the parish priest of San Giovanni Battista, don Gianni Fassina, and for the Sacred Convent strong>, the head of the Communications Office, Friar Giulio Cesareo (Order of Friars Minor Conventual – OFMConv).
After Piazza San Pietro in Rome in 2018 and Matera in 2019, the sand nativity of Jesolo reaches an international symbol of Christianity. The Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi has kept and guarded the mortal remains of San Francesco since 1230.
Not everyone knows that it was the Umbrian saint who created the first crib in history: it was 1223 and Francis of Assisi recreated the Nativity in Greccio, a small town in the province of Rieti, with the help of the castellan of the town Giovanni Velita. The Saint's desire to stage the birth of Jesus arose after his journey to the East, during which he was unable to visit the places of the historical life of Jesus of Nazareth. Once back, he found the support of his friend Velita with whom he set up the grotto with the crib, the ox and the donkey and obtained that the Eucharist be celebrated on Christmas night.
This year, on the occasion of the celebrations for the 800th anniversary of that historic moment, Assisi will host a monumental crib made with sand from Jesolo.
The creation of this majestic crib will begin in November with the setting up of the construction site scheduled for Wednesday 15th to Monday 20th. This will be followed by the sculpting phase, for which the artistic director David Ducharme will identify the artists in the coming weeks, which will take place from Tuesday 21 November to Monday 4 December. The following three days will be dedicated to decorating the work and the area that will host it.
The inauguration of the sculpture is set for Friday 8 December, the day of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. From that day, the Nativity will remain on display until January 6, 2024.
San Francesco will also be a protagonist in Jesolo. The 2023/2024 edition of the Jesolo Sand Nativity will in fact be dedicated to the Saint who will be depicted in some episodes that marked his life.
