Presepe Favoloso
Sanità
Hidden gemSacred art
The story
In the sacristy of the basilica of the Sanità the Scuotto brothers have lit up more than a hundred figures: a presepe (nativity scene) where eighteenth-century tradition and fairy tale interlace, suspended between the sacred and sheer wonder.
Access
FREE / € catacombs
The story
The Presepe Favoloso (Fabulous Nativity Scene) is a great permanent Neapolitan nativity scene, set up since 2021 in the Basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità, in the heart of the Rione Sanità. It is the work of the Scuotto brothers with the set designer and restorer Biagio Roscigno, and joins over a hundred figures — shepherds, animals and characters of tradition — with fantastic figures.
What to see
A monumental nativity scene that weaves the great Neapolitan crib art with fairy-tale inventions: scenes of working-class life, trades and imaginary characters, in a display cared for in the smallest details. A tale of the Naples of yesterday and of always, inside a seventeenth-century basilica.
Tips
The visit to the Presepe Favoloso is usually included in the route of the Catacombs of San Gaudioso, run by the Cooperativa La Paranza, and is possible all year round: check hours and tickets on the official site of the Catacombs of Naples. You are in Piazza Sanità, in the heart of the district.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Presepe Favoloso of the Sanità?
A great permanent Neapolitan nativity scene, set up since 2021 in the Basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità, the work of the Scuotto brothers with Biagio Roscigno, with over a hundred figures between tradition and fantasy.
Where is the Presepe Favoloso?
In the Basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità, in Piazza Sanità, in the Rione Sanità of Naples.
How do you visit the Presepe Favoloso?
It is usually included in the route of the Catacombs of San Gaudioso (Cooperativa La Paranza), all year round: check hours and tickets on the official site of the Catacombs of Naples.
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