The crib of Sutrio is preparing for the big day in St. Peter’s Square.
It will smell like Cedar wood And from 3 December it will furnish the heart of St. Peter’s Square in Romewith his 18 statues arranged over an area of 116 square metersilluminated by 50 light points: it is the Nativity scene 2022 in Vaticanrealized by a team of artists and wood craftsmen who have been active in the area for decadesto Sutrio and throughout the region.
The Crib of Sutrio was conceived with great attention to the values of sustainability: no trees were cut down to supply the raw material: if the overall structure was made with 24 cubic meters of larch wood, Friuli Venezia Giulia certified, comes from resources of the nurserymen active in the public or private gardens of the district the wood used for the 18 statues: the essence of cedar it was planted over a hundred years ago.
A significant detail testifies to the sensitivity of the project for the nature and the mountain: the baby’s cradle was created by the artistic director of the project Stefano Comelliwith the artist Martha Muserand derived from root of a tree uprooted during the terrible storm Vaia: echo of the passage from Isaiah 11,1-10 “a shoot will sprout from the trunk of Jesse, a shoot will sprout from its roots”. The cradle is in fact made with recovery raw material: the supporting structure is made up of old stable beams, while the vortex that will embrace the child is made up of branches and roots abandoned in the aftermath of Vaia, found in the municipalities of Sutrio and Paluzza.
The inspiration of the sculptors then reflects the concern for ethical and spiritual values: the feelings of humanity, brotherhood, social solidarity and inclusion were the primary reference for the creation of the Holy Family, and of the other characters of the Nativity scene that we will see in St. Peter’s Square. A ‘human landscape’ called not only to frame the woman, man and child united in an embrace in the cave, but also to remind us of the time and the world in which we live. As in the case of Group of figures composed of a man who helps another man to recover, to get back on the road towards the cave, embodying the hopes for the future of every human being, at every latitude of the planet. There design code is inextricably linked to the tradition of wood culture, in constant confrontation with history: the Grottowith its incorporated comet star, is a metaphor for that celestial vault, universal placecalled to perpetuate the mystery of the birth of the Messiah, and to announce the salvation of humanity.
The main characters.
As anticipated, they will be 18 statues of the Nativity scene of Sutrioall realistic in size: each character will shine thanks to the project of light design edited and donated by Skira. With thoughtful attention to tradition, the Holy Family will be represented: baby Jesus, in an attitude of loving serenity, will have the classic features of a newborn wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger. There Madonna she will be depicted on her knees, to the left of the Child Jesus, with her head covered by a mantle and her arms outstretched to indicate the Savior. And Saint Joseph, standing to the right of the Child, he will have one hand brought to his chest and with his left hand he will hold the small lantern, a symbol of light and hope, which illuminates Jesus. The ox and the donkeywith realistic features, will be lying next to Mary and Joseph. Stopra the Nativity, on the dome of the cave at a height of about 7 meters, the Angel it will be a garrison of light for all.
The other characters.
They can’t miss the characters that recall the tradition of the territory: the carpenterfirst of all, an immediate reference to the many craftsmen who, in the Carnic Alps, have made woodworking their vocation. And then there weaver, which recalls the female work of many women of Carnia, still alive in many small entrepreneurial realities. Representative par excellence of the Carnic mountain is the figure of Cramar, the ancient peddler who starting on foot from his small town, and carrying a wooden chest of drawers on his shoulders, went from village to village to sell the handicraft products of his community. The Cramar del Presepe 2022 will be set out on its way to the Nativity.
And they will be there too shepherdess, a typical figure of the crib and a strong reminder of the mountains and nature that offers food for the animals, allowing them to be raised with care. The shepherdess is represented on her knees, flanked by a pannier and a sheep, with an adoring gaze towards the Nativity. There family it is a sculptural group made up of three standing figures – a woman, a man, a child – united in an embrace, in a position in front of the cave. And as per tradition the three Magi will also be on their way to the Nativity: they will proceed along the ramp that climbs towards the cave, generous with their earthly riches, to pay homage to the smallest man, the last, the Savior.
Overall, the Crib will weigh 16.8 tons. The extension of the surface of the Grotto, under the dome 5.65 meters high, will be 41 square meters. The surface area of the stage below will be a further 75 square meters. The figures were sculpted using the classic upbeat technique, using mechanical equipment for roughing (chainsaws), chisels, gouges and rasps for manual finishing. The stylistic and plastic figure of the sculptures resulted in a synthesis of the figurative experiences of the group of sculptors who took part in the project. The cave it was made with modern techniques in self-supporting laminated wood.
The inauguration.
The inauguration is scheduled for Saturday 3 December, at 5 pm, with live streaming on Vatican TV and other international networks and channels. On the occasion two pieces by the Polyphonic Choir of Ruda (UD) will accompany the lighting ceremony and, shortly before the intervention of the authorities, the accordionist Andrea Nassivera will perform a piece live. A soundtrack with Christmas and traditional songs will be broadcast throughout the Nativity scene, some of which performed by the Ruda Choir and other artists from Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Also on the occasion of the inaugural ceremony, some gifts will be delivered to Pope Francis by the delegation of Sutrio, Friuli Venezia Giulia: a pair of shoes, typical traditional handmade footwear from Carnia and Friuli; a blanket of white wool knitted and embroidered with the writing ” Send“, the traditional Friulian greeting that derives from the Latin “Mane Deus” or remain in the hands of God; a Christ in wood carved by the artist Moro Isaia, one of the artists who created the Nativity scene of Sutrio; a altar cloth hand-embroidered by the women of the “Sutrio embroider” association; a scarf in white wool, made by the boys of the Davide Cooperative; a photographic collection “the boys of 99”by the photographer Ulderica Da Pozzo, a reflection on the mountains, on the resistance of traditions and on the role that young people will have in the years to come.