What to do in Trapani at Christmas
Discovering Ancient Enchanted Villages
Christmas in Sicily is steeped in tradition; you are thrown into the incredible atmosphere of ancient medieval and rural villages.
Christmas in Erice
Tradition comes to life in the ancient village of Erice in the province of Trapani, which hosts the event ‘Ericè Natale Il Borgo dei Presepi’; Nativity scenes on display in the churches, courtyards and shops of the historic centre.
A wealth of initiatives, atmospheric cribs, exhibitions, crafts and gastronomy.
The ‘Presepe Monumentale’ (Monumental Nativity Scene), a reproduction of the eighteenth-century Sicilian nativity scene, with more than one hundred and thirty handmade characters in wax and terracotta, seventy movements, a faithful reproduction of ancient trades and the production cycles of local agriculture.
Art meets faith, but also history and folklore in the cribs on display in the streets, courtyards, churches and workshops that have always characterised the medieval town. An ideal setting to admire the nativities, different in style and materials, set up with care and passion by the inhabitants and traders of the village.
Christmas in Erice
Tradition comes to life in the ancient village of Erice in the province of Trapani, which hosts the event ‘Ericè Natale Il Borgo dei Presepi’; Nativity scenes on display in the churches, courtyards and shops of the historic centre.
A wealth of initiatives, atmospheric cribs, exhibitions, crafts and gastronomy.
The ‘Presepe Monumentale’ (Monumental Nativity Scene), a reproduction of the eighteenth-century Sicilian nativity scene, with more than one hundred and thirty handmade characters in wax and terracotta, seventy movements, a faithful reproduction of ancient trades and the production cycles of local agriculture.
Art meets faith, but also history and folklore in the cribs on display in the streets, courtyards, churches and workshops that have always characterised the medieval town. An ideal setting to admire the nativities, different in style and materials, set up with care and passion by the inhabitants and traders of the village.
THE LIVING NATIVITY OF CUSTONACI
Custonaci in the Province of Trapani, is a world-renowned marble centre.
Karst phenomena have given rise to numerous beautiful caves, which have been humanised since the Upper Palaeolithic.
One of the most beautiful, and by far, is the Grotta Mangiapane (named after the family that lived there from 1800 until the end of the last great war).
This place was chosen to stage The Living Crib, now an annual destination for many families with children, who discover an environment full of surprises.
People of all ages doing mysterious and fascinating work, animals of all kinds roaming freely.
In the Living Crib, the ancient Sicilian trades and scenes are revived; real craftsmen as real are the operations they perform, real are the gestures they articulate, aimed at a purpose. An evocative itinerary among the most representative places and objects of tradition, including ‘U TILARU’, ‘U FURNU’, ‘L’ARBITRIO’ for working pasta, ‘A TAVERNA’ and ‘U BAGGHIU’
