Subscribe to trusted local news
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
- Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
17
Dec
Harrogate woman recreates the first Christmas in miniature with epic Italian Nativity scene
If you thought the Nativity scene was limited to an ox and an ass, three wise men, Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus, think again.
In Italy, the Christmas scene, known as Il Presepe, is much bigger – as visitors can see for themselves if they head to St Robert’s Roman Catholic Church in Harrogate.
Parishioner Val Burdon has taken over the niche usually dominated by the baptismal font to create an epic version of the Nativity scene, using dozens of tiny figures populating a mountainous Bethlehem.
Il Presepe by Naples-born Val Burdon.
Val told the Stray Ferret:
I wanted to bring something of my own culture. I’m from Naples and we make one every year. If you go to Italy at this time of year, you’ll see Il Presepe in every church and even in people’s homes. Somebody I know used to use an entire room of their house to build one. People are very passionate about it.
You can see scenes of everyday life – that’s what’s different about the Neapolitan Nativity. Because there was daily life going on back then, not just the birth of Jesus.
Figures get up to all sorts of activities.
Val made her first version of Il Presepe at St Joseph’s RC Church in Harrogate in 2009 and has been doing it every year since, making it afresh each time.
It was unveiled on December 8 and stays in place until Epiphany, on January 6.
Her version is made from papier mâché, clay, rocks, wood, bark and moss, and is peopled by miniature chefs and shepherds, butchers and bakers, washerwomen and wood gatherers.
Mary and Joseph are there too, but they’ll only be joined by their baby on December 24.
Mary and Joseph - but no baby Jesus yet.
Val said:
As a child, I always used to look every day to check if the baby had been born yet. But people of all ages love it. I love to see their eyes when they first see it – they open up like a child’s in a toyshop.
Some of the figures are home-made, some bought, and help has come from friends, family, parishioners, and even children from the congregation.
Val said:
It carries a little bit of a lot of people.
The butcher's shop.
There are mechanical features too. An oven glows, a workman hammers, a fire flickers, and a boy dips his hook into a real, running stream.
Val said:
These are all mechanisms I built myself. The water comes from a bucket and pipes under the display. I get parts online and learn how to do things through YouTube.
Little ladders connect different levels of the scene.
The whole creation has taken Val two months, working about 10 hours a week – on top of her day job. She said:
The most difficult aspect was that space was limited. But I enjoy every bit of making it. I build as I go along, and don’t see it all in advance. It’s only when it’s finished that I can stand back and see the whole thing.
But I’m very critical of my own work. I always think ‘I’ll do better next year’. But it’s nice to give a little joy at Christmas.
The cheese-seller.
Even though it’s complete, Val’s work isn’t finished yet. She said:
I come in every couple of days to spray the moss to keep it alive and the check to see if anything needs repairing. Sometimes I find animals ‘wandering around’!
St Robert’s priest, Father Simon Bradbury, is very happy with the transformation of part of his church. He said:
Val’s done a great job – it looks fantastic. She had it all covered up while she was making it, and I didn’t peek until December 8, when I blessed it at the start of mass.
Val Burdon with her creation.
Val intends to continue recreating Il Presepe each Christmas time, but hopes to be able to find a new venue. She said:
I’d love to do something outside the church, because it’s something everybody should have access to. I couldn’t do it in the Victoria Shopping Centre this year, because it’s up for sale, but maybe next year I’ll be able to build it in one of the ground-floor units.
In the meantime, Harrogate’s grandest Nativity scene will be available to view until December 6, but not during Mass. Visitors are advised to check times on the church’s website, here.
0