Miscellanea - Rubrica d'attualita`

The Italian Club of St. Louis will again display items that reflect a way their culture celebrates the holiday.

At the restaurants and bakeries of the famous Hill neighborhood of St. Louis, shoppers and diners have a new reason to walk off the calories - by taking brisk walks to see 25 Italian Nativity scenes in storefront windows.

The Nativity scenes, called "presepio" in Italian, are the featured attraction of the Hill's second annual Nativity Walk, being held by the Italian Club of St. Louis.

"We want people to appreciate the Italian culture, make them aware of how different regions of Italy beautifully and creatively make the presepio," said Barbara Klein, chairwoman of the event's organizing committee. "For those who are Christian, it reminds them of the meaning of Christmas, but for others, it's a celebration of art."

The displays will continue through Jan. 2. Last year, 19 scenes were on display. Some are back this year, but there are at least 10 new scenes, with seven just arrived from Italy. Maps are available at most shops and restaurants on the Hill. When they are closed, a good starting point is John Viviano & Sons Grocery, 5139 Shaw Avenue.

Nearly every region of Italy has its own style of presepio. Some families collect them from various regions and display several at home. The Natitivy Walk eventually could feature one set from each of the major styles, Klein said.

Some of the scenes are simple, made of paper, wax or rough pottery. Others are elaborate works in wood, terra cotta or enamel. To count as presepio, they must include images of the infant Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Scenes in the Hill windows include angels, shepherds, sheep, magi, camels and elephants. Presepio from Naples often include an entire village of miniature figures of tradesmen, farmers, shopkeepers and children.

The event is co-sponsored by the Hill Business Association. Three businesses have provided Nativity scenes. The remainder come from collectors and the club's own growing collection. Many shops are lighting the presepio so visitors can see the scenes at night.

Club member Klein came up with the idea after living in Italy for two years. She secured the club's sponsorship for the event in the fall of last year, so she had just six weeks to borrow and beg sets. With the help of her late father, John Klein, she made some herself. Washington University teachers also made two.

"This year, the quality of the work is much better," she said.

The club got grants from the National Italian-American Foundation in Washington and Southwest Bank and some smaller individual donations, so Klein purchased five presepio during her vacation in Italy last summer and ordered two more from Sicily in the fall.

This year's additions range from a large, unpainted, terra cotta ensemble by Francesco Scarlatella of Sicily to a paper cutout copy of six theater-like stage scenes from the 17th century

Scarlatella's presepio are widely collected in Italy, where many cities have regional Nativity displays and contests in convention centers, and in the United States.

Klein also bought an elaborate scene that looks as if it is made of plaster and silk garments, but the material is actually papier mache. With the help of Italian friends, she was able to get it from Lecce, in the Puglia region in Italy's heel.

"So many Italian friends and friends of friends helped me," she said. "They bargained for me, drove me to remote places."

Klein teaches Italian at St. Louis Community College's South County University Center and also works as an art curator.

In Italy's Aldo Adige region, her friend Eleanora Campidelli took her to the small ski village of Madonna di Campiglio. At an antiques shop there, Klein found an antique Neapolitan-style fabric and terra cotto Nativity scene under a 19-inch glass globe. She bought it, covered the glass in layers of plastic bubble, and carried it back on the plane as if it were a baby.

Klein's second cousin drove her to the Milan airport. He works in security there and was able to assure the inspectors exactly what the glass globe contained. "He said that it was presepio, and immediately they understood," she said.

She purchased other charming, hand-made presepio including a navy, gray and light blue ceramic set traditional to the Piedmont area of Italy. She also got a clay set from the Ligouri.

Two of the artists were reluctant to sell their work to Klein for fear that their designs would be copied until an Italian friend vouched for her good intentions.

"They'd rather not make a sale than have their work stolen," Klein said. "I had to explain I had no factory here, that I was not copying their work. I was sharing it with the world so people would appeciate the tradition."

Reporter Patricia Rice
E-mail: price@post-dispatch.com
Phone: 636-500-4111