Christmas in Naples would be incomplete without a trip to the famed Christmas Alley. I begged Chief to take me to Christmas Alley, but in reality I was going with or without him. We were forewarned by many that navigating the narrow alley in downtown Naples this time of year was an "at your own risk" adventure. Naturally this talk only piqued my interest and longing to go even more!
In order to get to Christmas Alley one must traverse Spaccanapoli, the main artery of downtown Naples. Spaccanapoli literally means "split Naples", and is filled with history. Walking the exact same cobblestones the ancient Greeks and Romans travelled on is eye opening. When visiting Naples, Spaccanapoli is not to be missed. It certainly isn't the most beautiful part of the city, but it does have the most personality.
Inevitably the colorful characters that inhabit or work on the ancient alley are an entertaining art form in their own right; from the immigrants hawking Louis Vuittons to the man trying to make a buck euro or two on his unicycle. No sight is uninteresting!
It is evident before the entrance to Christmas Alley that Italians decorate for Christmas very similar to Americans. Wreaths and ornaments adorn store fronts, and bakers sell fresh struffoli (a Neapolitan Christmas treat).
Christmas Alley (officially called Via San Gregorio Armeno) runs perpendicular to Spaccanapoli, and has pretty much anything to suit your Christmas decorating needs.
Most Neapolitans come to Christmas Alley specifically seeking items for their Presepe (nativity scene), which is by far the most important and central piece of Christmas decor in a Neapolitan house. The Neapolitan Precepe is very large, and made of papier mâché and then covered with bark, moss, and cork to give it a rustic look.
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| The man on the left can serve as a scale. The precepes are BIG |
Of course the traditional Nativity with Mary, Joseph, the Three Wise Men, and the Archangel are the most important part of the Neapolitan Presepe. In Italy Baby Jesus is NEVER placed into the Precepe until Christmas Eve.
Aside from the traditional Nativity scene, Neapolitan families spend years collecting figurines and accessories to fill the rest of their Presepe. Often they will have scenes that are important to Neapolitan life. For example, a Margherita pizza maker! We even saw a Presepe with trash strewn about! Surely a joke, but definitely classic Naples "scenery".
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| Once again, see little AC's hand for the scale of these miniature Precepe fillers. |
Aside from the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker, you will find many important religious, political, and pop culture figures to place in the Presepe. We saw too many football (soccer to you Americans) stars to count, but also Silvio Berlesconi, Michael Jackson, and President Obama are viable choices for the Presepe.
As well as Pope Benedict, and once again Michael Jackson.
Every shop is busting at the seams with hundreds of figurines. For the life of me I can't imagine how the supply and demand of this business works out in the end, but I'm sure they must know what they are doing. After all, Christmas Alley has been going strong since the 1930's
Even though the large Presepi are the most predominantly sold item in Christmas Alley, traditional Nativity scenes can also be found tucked inside seashells or engraved on a grain of rice.
After having a cafe at one of the numerous bars (which are really Italian coffee shops), we decided to warm up in one of the Napoli's many cathedrals. I'm not sure which there are more of in Naples: bars or churches. It would certainly be impossible to see all of the Neapolitan churches and cathedrals in our 3 years here. I think it is safe to say that when in Naples you are never more than a few meters from a church!
