Greccio: Where the nativity scene originated.
DW on Dec 14, 2017 The first nativity play, or re-enactment of Jesus' birth, was staged in Greccio, Italy, in 1223. Saint Francis of Assisi had the idea. The nativity play is still one of the year's highlights there today.
Greccio: Where the nativity scene originated.
Sanctuary of Greccio - Wikipedia
The Hermitage of Greccio Sanctuary (Italian: Santuario Eremo di Greccio) is one of the four shrines erected by Saint Francis of Assisi in the Sacred Valley, along with the Sanctuary of Fonte Colombo, the Sanctuary of the Forest, and the convent of Poggio Bustone. It is located in the Italian town of Greccio, about 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) from the city of Rieti, seat of the homonym province, is recessed at an altitude of 665 metres (2,182 ft) above sea level, in the rocks of the mountains in the immediate vicinity of the medieval village of Greccio with views of the wide Rieti Valley.
Francis presented the first living Nativity scene in a nearby cave in December 1223.