The Nativity Makers of Naples
The street where nativity figures are made all year, and the city's most famous crib.
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In Naples the nativity scene, the presepe, is an art form. In Via San Gregorio Armeno craftsmen make nativity figures all year round, and alongside shepherds and wise men they also make figures of footballers and celebrities. The walk starts at the Certosa di San Martino on the Vomero hill, where the Presepe Cuciniello has hundreds of figures and lighting that runs from dawn to night. From there you go down the old Pedamentina steps and along Spaccanapoli to the nativity street and the cathedral. The whole historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The stops
- 1
Certosa di San Martino
A monastery and museum with a view of Vesuvius. The Presepe Cuciniello is one of the best-known nativity scenes from the 18th and 19th centuries.
- 2
Basilica of Santa Chiara
A 14th-century Gothic church with a cloister garden clad in majolica tiles.
- 3
Via San Gregorio Armeno
The nativity street, with workshops and stalls from end to end.
- 4
Naples Cathedral
The cathedral with the chapel of the city's patron saint, San Gennaro.
About the trip
- Where
- Naples
- Getting around
- On foot
- Time
- 2 h
- Distance
- 3.4 km
- Stops
- 4
- Themes
- Art, History, Views
Practical
- Start
- Certosa di San Martino. Take a funicular up to Vomero and walk about 500 metres.
- Finish
- The cathedral, by Duomo metro station (line 1).
- Toilets
- In the Certosa museum and in cafés.
- Accessibility
- The Pedamentina is a long, steep stairway with over 400 steps, so with a pushchair or wheelchair take the funicular down. The nativity street is narrow and very crowded in December.