Inauguration on December 8th together with the traditional lighting of the Christmas tree.
In the Piazza inferiore di San Francesco, work has begun to compact the Jesolo sand with which the Artistic nativity scene for the Christmas holiday period in Assisi will be created.
The inauguration will take place on December 8 together with the traditional lighting of the tree, which this year was donated by the Valle d'Aosta region. The work, which will be created by removing the sand and will be 8 meters long, 4.5 meters high and 4 meters deep, will represent the Nativity with some architectural elements of the city of Assisi.
The peculiarity of the Holy Family that will be created is represented by the presence of Saint Francis. Now in its twenty-first edition, the Sand Nativity of Jesolo this year is dedicated to the eighth centenary of Francis' Christmas in Greccio.
For this reason, in addition to the traditional installation in Jesolo - where twelve episodes of the life of the Saint will be created by 14 artists from all over the world - the cultural and at the same time religious initiative lands on the Hill of Paradise, in Assisi, homeland of Saint Francis. Twenty quintals of sand from Jesolo have already been deposited on the Piazza inferiore di San Francesco and work has begun on the construction of the different blocks of the pyramid that will become the Assisi Nativity. Since yesterday they began to wet the sand and compact it with special equipment.
The decoration by the three international artists will begin on Tuesday 21 November. Coordination was entrusted to Canadian artistic director David Ducharme.
“Each of the artists – declared Massimo Ambrosin, director of the project – will take care of a part of the work, which will however a homogeneity of styles. We worked closely with the community of friars in the realization of this project. For us it was important to connect with the Sacred Convent and draw inspiration from Franciscan values to honor the place that hosts us. We found great collaboration from everyone, so it's an easy job. Everything is working out for the best”.
“The arrival of the friends and artists of Jesolo – declared fra Marco Moroni, OFMConv, Custos of the Sacred Convent – has catapulted us into the upcoming preparation for Christmas of the Lord, on this very special anniversary of that event that Francis in Greccio, 800 years ago, created to celebrate the madness of the Father's love for us and see with his own eyes the gentle and benevolent humility of God made man. As the Franciscan fraternity of the Sacred Convent we thus believe that the synergy between the Jesolo Sand Nativity, the Aosta Valley Christmas tree and the artistic video mapping on the facade of the upper church of the Basilica of San Francesco are wonders that - in some way - can refer to that great wonder faced with the choice of the great King (as Saint Francis called him) to be the last to save everyone. May this Christmas logic of abasement for love, so dear to Saint Francis, be the strength of our faith and our choices, as individuals and as a community, to bring a little sincere warmth and light where we are and in the responsibilities that we have have been entrusted”.
