In Italy there's a popular custom of setting up Christmas nativity dioramas for the holidays and…read morebeyond, and this area over centuries became the place to go. This street is famous for its nativity scene decorations and figurines, many in the form of miniatures. I could feel my jaw dropping walking by, admiring the deft handiwork of skilled artisans, many who've honed their traditional craft for generations.
On a weekend in April I visited with curiosity, since in the States, it's not common to see enclaves of such specialized holiday producers showcasing and selling their goods year round. The closest I can think of are certain Christmas "villages" or really cluster of Christmas retailers in places like Bronner's in Frakenmuth, Michigan. Via San Gregorio Armeno is a far cry from the glitzy decked out lights and fake snow, more like its low key vintage-styled European uncle.
The street is only about a block and a half or so, with probably two dozen stores. Among these, mixed in are many peripherally related souvenir shops, selling imported souvenirs aimed at tourists looking for cheap trinkets. However you can generally discern the ones with locally produced items, often with makers working on pieces inside the store.
Even as I walked along and admired the nativity figurines, some no taller than a couple inches, the minutiae of smallest details captured in the fold of a garment, or a twinkle of an eye, I wondered how long these shops could sustain with competition from foreign made copycats, tightening purse strings, and lessening interest from younger generations to go into this type of cottage industry. While this question isn't an easy one to answer, I hope there will be those that continue to appreciate these stories and support their work.
