Giovanni Antonio Matera's Nativity Scene at the Quirinale
A lime tree nativity dating back to the 18th century
Nativity scene at QuirinaleQuirinale Palace
The large group of figurines, in carved lime wood, dates back to the early 18th century.
The sculptures are a loan by the Giuseppe Pitrè Ethnographic Museum of Palermo.
Set up in the seventeenth-century Nativity Chapel of the Quirinale Palace, the group of sculptures represents classic scenes of the Nativity.
Nativity scene at Quirinale Virgin Mary with Baby JesusQuirinale Palace
The scene is illuminated by the statue of the Madonna and Child.
Kings Nativity scene at QuirinaleQuirinale Palace
behind them there is an ox quenching its thirst.
Nativity scene at Quirinale 2Quirinale Palace
Around the Holy Family there is a series of shepherds, captured in particular moments of their daily lives.
There is the classic sleeping character,
another shepherd riding a donkey; a piper carrying his instrument.
Nativity scene at Quirinale shepherd with a babyQuirinale Palace
A man holds a child in his arms.
He seems to smile and approach the Holy Family.
Kings Nativity scene at QuirinaleQuirinale Palace
Still on the way towards the Baby Jesus, in a small shrine next to that of the Nativity, we can see the Three Wise Men, loaded with precious gifts for the Savior.
Next to them are the statuettes of accompanying pages.
Kings Nativity scene at QuirinaleQuirinale Palace
Giovanni Antonio Matera, famous Sicilian artist, known for his sacred scenes, distances himself from the pasturari of the time and - to model his shepherds - uses poor materials: wood, canvas and glue.
Kings Nativity scene at QuirinaleQuirinale Palace
He carves the face, arms and legs, barely roughing out the body, made of lime wood.
he Immerses strips of canvas or linen in a mixture of glue and plaster and applies them while still wet to the body of the figurines, giving them a plastic and harmonious appearance with bright colours.
The figurines exhibited at the Quirinale are part of a notable group of 397 works, donated by Tommaso Bono Cianciolo in 1909 - in memory of a dead son - to the National Museum of Palermo; in 1934 they were transferred, in the form of temporary storage, to the Pitrè Ethnographic Museum.
Thanks to Sandro Scalia for kindly granting some of the shots.
