“And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”
(Lc 2, 6-7)
The portrayal of the birth of Jesus, as imparted to us by the Gospel, began in early times. The first Christmas drawing, made in the 4th century BC, depicts the infant Jesus with his mother Mary and the three Kings, who are praying.
In the year 1223 AD, St. Francis created a very detailed nativity scene. He celebrated Christmas Mass in front of a wooden manger with an ox and a donkey close to it. This brought the event of the birth of Jesus closer to the people, who found it fascinating.
Why is this portrayal so captivating? Jesus was born the son of a poor family. Poverty and the natural birth of God’s son enabled the people to feel that he was one of them. They could identify with him. Also the scene showed the contrast between rich and poor, with kings and shepherds both worshipping the little child.
The Jesuits and Franciscans helped to spread the concept far out in the world. People created numerous frescos, altars, paintings and carvings with the Nativity as their subject.
Scenes portraying the Nativity have a long tradition in the South Tyrol and are to be found on ancient manuscripts and seals. The chapels at the “Castel Schloss Tirol”, at “Hocheppan Castle” and the Via Crucis in Brixen all have wonderful Christmas scenes dating from the early Gothic period. An important fresco dating from the later Gothic period can be seen at the St. Jakob Church in Val Gardena. These representations and the many altars in the South Tyrol are the precursors to modern Nativity scenes.
During the Age of Enlightenment, Nativity scenes were banned from churches and monasteries. Paradoxically, this produced an increase in the number of Nativity scenes in private houses. People also began to create their own Nativity scenes and, especially in Val Gardena during the cold winter months, farmers began to dedicate themselves to carving their own Nativity scenes. Although these carvings looked rather primitive at first, they soon became quite detailed and successful, with great popular and artistic merit.
The woodcarvers of Val Gardena soon became master craftsmen and this sacred art became much more popular. Numerous workshops were opened and the valley almost had a monopoly in the creation of carved wooden cribs. The cribs were exported all around the world.
The oldest preserved nativity scene from Val Gardena seems to be a Baroque carving from the Vinatzer workshop depicting the three Kings at prayer. This work of art was created in the 18th century during the reign of Maria Theresa - a golden period for art - and is today preserved at the museum in Ortisei.
Today, several producers of woodcarvings have come together to form the “Woodcarving Manufacturers’ Association – Gardena Art” in order to continue this long-lasting tradition, with the “Gardena Art Seal” certifying the origin and quality of our woodcarvings.
The crib has played the central role in wood carving tradition for several hundred years. A crib from Val Gardena is a valuable work of art for any home. It can provide the focal point for a family during the Christmas season, with the children gathering around it with their eyes shining in the candlelight.
