A presepio is a nativity crib scene. In Barga and a few other towns in the valley, there is a Presepio Vivente - a living crib. There is a secular element to this, with people presenting tableaux representing life in days gone by - from theRoman empire, through the middle Ages up to the Victorian era. Rural craft such as knife-grinding, cobbling, olive pressing and bodging (rough carving of utensils).
At every corner, bread and olive oil and chestnut delicacies are on offer, ant there are steaming cauldrons of mulled wine ...
The weather was kind - unseasonably warm, and the forecast rain did not appear.
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| In the morning, Barbara made a trip to the hairdressers |
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| Our favourite presepio - this knitted version is in the window of a house we pass on the way down to Barga |
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| A goat enacts the rural scene - our house light is somewhere in the distance ... |
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| ... while these medieval villagers are busy on their phones |
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| A laundry scene |
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| The bodger with his wares |
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| Entertainment from a band in the bookshop - eight mandolins being played at the back! |
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| With a bit of sax and accordion in Piazza del Comune ... |
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| Next morning, the warmer weather has brought us fog |
Great to see the pictures of the Presepio Vivente. I can imagine the atmosphere and how much buzz there muust be.
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