€30-€200Handcrafted Neapolitan Nativity Scene Figures (San Gregorio Armeno) in Naples
AI summary
The handcrafted Nativity scene figures of San Gregorio Armeno are far more than simple statuettes: they are small characters that portray Naples as a great human stage. Modeled and dressed by hand in the city’s historic workshops, they combine religious devotion with everyday life, where shepherds stand alongside fishermen, vendors, and popular figures. Each piece is unique, with expressions and gestures that seem to capture a fragment of a Neapolitan street. Bringing one home means preserving a living scene of Neapolitan culture, where the sacred meets irony and life itself becomes storytelling.
- Fatto a mano
- Tradizione secolare
- Pezzo unico
- Da collezione
Editorially verifiedartigianato
Verified shops arrive in the app
More crafts from Naples
The product
What Handcrafted Neapolitan Nativity Scene Figures (San Gregorio Armeno) is
These figures stand between 15 and 30 centimeters tall, with hand‑painted terracotta heads, glass or enamel eyes, and articulated bodies made from wire and tow. The clothing is made from real fabrics, sewn and aged by hand to simulate everyday wear. Alongside the sacred characters appear popular figures: fishermen, fruit sellers, tavern keepers, musicians, shepherds, and sometimes contemporary personalities reinterpreted with a touch of irony. Each figure is unique, differing in expression, posture, and costume.
It is an object that tells the story of Naples through its characters. It is chosen by travelers who want to understand how a city transforms devotion into everyday theater. It is ideal for those who want to take home not just a figurine, but a living fragment of the Neapolitan imagination.
The roots
Origin and history
The tradition of the Neapolitan Nativity scene developed between the 17th and 18th centuries, during the Baroque period, when Naples was one of Europe’s cultural capitals. Alongside the religious Nativity, a scene populated with secular figures emerged: vendors, musicians, innkeepers, nobles, and common people, transforming the Nativity into a complete representation of society. Via San Gregorio Armeno became the heart of this art, the historic home of the workshops of the figurine makers, artisans specialized in modeling terracotta heads, hands, feet, and fabric clothing. Even today this street remains one of the few places in Europe where a theatrical and craft tradition has continued without interruption for more than three centuries.
The message it carries concerns the value of mutual recognition. Giving this object means acknowledging the importance of making space for every role within a shared story. It is a gesture that affirms trust in representation as a tool for understanding. It suggests that living together begins with the ability to see oneself as part of a whole.
Where to buy
Where to find Handcrafted Neapolitan Nativity Scene Figures (San Gregorio Armeno) in Naples
Historic workshops of San Gregorio Armeno Artisan studios of Nativity figurine makers Museum spaces and exhibitions dedicated to the Nativity scene
Get the full verified list - map, hours, reviews - for Handcrafted Neapolitan Nativity Scene Figures (San Gregorio Armeno) in Naples.
Free download
Take Trouvenir with you
iOS and Android. Free.
Privacy-firstCross-device syncOffline ready