Italy is not a good place to experience suffering

Every Christ­mas day, in the fondo of Palazzo della Corgna, the terzieri of Castello presents inspi­ra­tional scenes for the sea­son (called a pre­sepe).  It is Castello’s gift of the sea­son to the com­mu­nity.  Castello is one of three terzieri’s (a sec­tion of the town, with deep his­tor­i­cal roots).  Each terzieri has its own tav­erna and meet­ing place, as well as tra­di­tions.  For Castello, their green and black flags fly at Christ­mas to her­ald the open­ing of their Christ­mas presepe.

I first saw this pre­sepe  in 2007 just after I moved here to Citta della Pieve for the sec­ond time.  I had been warned view­ing this exhi­bi­tion would be very emo­tional and mov­ing, so I was braced for tears.  This par­tic­u­lar year, each of the sta­tions were (human re-enactments of) famous Dutch paintings.

I walked tremu­lously up to the sta­tion of Christ on the cross flanked by two thieves, all three “hang­ing” on crosses in loin clothes (think gor­geous Ital­ian male bod­ies in full youth and health—dark light­ing, very dra­matic and somber).  I was brac­ing for the tears, about to take in this very real cru­ci­fix scene, when…  the gor­geous young man rep­re­sent­ing Christ stretched, yawned and scratched his arm, then his nicely draped loin cloth, and said “Andi­amo, let’s take a break!”

Well, it was not the effect I had expected, need­less to say.  So I walked around the exhibit, tak­ing in the somber scenes, and had another go at it, towards the end of my visit, still want­ing to fully expe­ri­ence this epic iconic scene of suf­fer­ing and misery.

Sec­ond go, approach­ing prayer­fully, a quiet line of towns­folk before me, I waited my turn.  Finally I was before the vis­age, and then the three suf­fer­ing and “dying” men started crack­ing jokes with each other.

Which served to prove to me, that Italy is not the best place to expe­ri­ence suf­fer­ing!  This is a coun­try far more made for expe­ri­enc­ing joy.

This year’s pre­sepe opens on Christ­mas Day, and remains open until Jan­u­ary 6th, the day of the arrival of the Magi.

Tags: Castello, Christmas, Citta della Pieve, Italy, Palazzo della Corgna, presepe, Travel, Umbria