Presepe Permanente Benedetto XVI

The Permanent Nativity Scene of Benedict XVI in Loreto is a mechanical presepe created by the Associazione Lauretana Presepi. More than one hundred moving figures present scenes from the Annunciation to the Nativity alongside settings that evoke the trades of an older village.

Why it matters

The installation brings a local tradition of presepe-making into the cultural setting of Loreto's Marian shrine. The association, led by Cesare Rossi, adapted a municipal building erected for the Jubilee of 2000 and opened the nativity scene in 2006. Its handmade figures and sets connect devotional art with scenes of everyday work.

What to notice

The mechanical sequence moves from the Annunciation toward the Nativity, with more than one hundred figures distributed across the scenes. Between these episodes are settings depicting traditional village trades, including bakers, smiths and water-carriers. The association adds and reworks figures and scenes over time, so the composition continues to develop.

Context and history

The building on Via Sisto V, now Piazza Papa Giovanni XXIII, was erected as a public facility for the Jubilee of 2000 and later granted to the Associazione Lauretana Presepi. The association converted it into a permanent mechanical nativity scene, which opened in 2006 and took the name of Pope Benedict XVI. Contributions support charitable causes.