Creche
Object number94.43.1 a-f
Artist
Albino Albini
Artist
Sam Albini
Date1930-1940
MediumPaper, Cardboard, Paint, Plaster, Cellophane, Wood
Credit LineGift of Theresa J. Colecchia
DescriptionPresepio village consisting of four buildings and fountain, mostly cardboard constructions.Label TextThe presepio is an Italian holiday village (sometimes called a crèche) that can be as simple as several houses or as elaborate as a town complete with landscaping, railroads, and working fountains. The tradition of the presepio dates back to the 13th century when Saint Francis of Assisi popularized the practice by hosting a living Nativity in a cave in the town of Greccio in the region of Campania. The custom spread around the world, in part due to Italian immigrants bringing the ritual with them to their new homes. A typical presepio consists of a manger scene surrounded by a miniature village reminiscent of the regional landscape. Though Neapolitan variations are the most well-known, the custom is prevalent in both Northern and Southern Italy and often utilizes materials native to those locales.
The Italian American Collection’s 33 piece presepio was originally amassed by the Albini family of Vandergrift, Pennsylvania. These buildings and figurines – some handmade, some store-bought – are a part of the Christmas display that decorated Albino Albini’s home. A cabinet maker by trade, Albini was an immigrant from the Calabrese town of San Pietro in Guarano. He took great pride in his family’s presepio and added a new piece every holiday season, much to the delight of his neighbors in Vandergrift that looked forward to the display year after year. The tradition was especially important for the Albini’s three children, Fernando, Rose, and Sam, who helped their father craft new pieces to add to the presepio. For the Albini family and many other Italian Americans, the annual practice of displaying the presepio was as important as trimming the Christmas tree.
HHC Collections 94.43, Gift of Sam and Rose Albini and Theresa ColecchiaOn View
Not on viewCollections
1984
Erwin Schofer
