The Italian Presepe - Cultural Landscapes of the Soul

Published by the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery, College of the Holy Cross in conjunction with the 2014 exhibition: THE ITALIAN PRESEPE - Cultural Landscapes of the Soul .

Among the glories of Christmastime in Italy are the thousands of nativity scenes, or presepi, that appear in churches, town squares, and private homes throughout the country. Everyone from school children to highly trained artists vibrantly practices the Italian nativity, an ancient form of installation art. Set up from early December until after Epiphany on January 6, these figurative and live reenactments of Christ s birth reach back at least as far as St. Francis, who staged a nativity scene in 1223 in Greccio.

Through the centuries the presepe has developed a history deeply entwined with Italian art and culture. Each presepe, a miniature cabinet of memory, is a palimpsest of Italian art and culture.

The Italian Presepe, Cultural Landscapes of the Soul is the culmination of a three year collaborative project between Margot Balboni, a cultural landscape photographer and Professor Sarah Stanbury, a medievalist at the College of the Holy Cross. A journey very much driven by the artists, collectors, historians and curators they met along the way.

The book, with preface by Gallery Director Roger Hankins, includes over 60 of Balboni's photographs of presepi in four regions where distinctive venaculars have developed: Rome Naples, Basilicata and Puglia and an essay by Sarah Stanbury, Nostalgia and the Repair of Place - A Nativity Scene in St. Peter's Square.