A stroll amidst the botteghe of the presepari (creche-scene artists) in Via San Gregorio Armeno in Naples is quite simply an immersion into a showroom of superb Italian craftsmanship.
In the splendid presepi napoletani (Neapolitan creche scenes), figures of the Holy Family, the Magi, angels and shepherds……
….have been traditionally surrounded by joyful dancers with tambourines..
…musicians playing bagpipes, flutes and other instruments…
…carpenters, cobblers and other artisans…
….vendors selling legumes in cloth sacks tied with strings, or fruits, fish, cheeses, eggs, or breads, and even hot roasted chestnuts.
…..innkeepers and their ebullient guests, often playing cards or bingo (traditionally played at Christmastime here in Italy)……
….while sharing the typical festa sweets: la pastiera, la cassata e struffoli napoletani
And in one inn-scene of the famed Ferrigno presepi, the traditional Neapolitan panaro (the straw basket lowered from balconies or windows for pulling up foods, thus saving climbing stairs) dangled above the table and hens in baskets laid eggs under the table:
The presepe figures – each one called a “pastore” (shepherd) – might also represent bagpipers, card-readers, flower vendors:
And since 1992, traditional pastori have been joined with contemporary figures: singers, actors and actresses, politicians, popes and cardinals – and famous soccer players…
Above all Diego Maradona. Often depicted as the angel of Naples.
You’ll experience the napoletano adoration for this Argentinian soccer star who played with the Napoli team, bringing it to glory, if you wander the quartieri spagnoli neighborhood enlivened with brightly-colored murals of Maradona – above an altar to him. Ask the napoletani what they think of Maradona and many reply simply,”come un dio” (“like a god”).
His place is prominent in many a Neapolitan creche scenes.
Recently wandering Via San Gregorio Armeno lined with the botteghe (workshops) of creche-scene artisans…
…I saw figures of Maradona – and other players for the Napoli soccer team – at nearly every bottega (workshop).
Sometimes, Maradona and other soccer-player figurines were joined by figures of Pulcinella in his traditional baggy white clothes, that beloved figure of the 17th-century commedia dell’arte (literally, “the comedy of the profession”), an early form of theater featuring masked personages.
Maradona figurines often flanked figures of the beloved Scio-scio, too, perhaps placed deliberately near this protective figure who wards off the evil eye (malocchio) for the napoletani.
Lo scio-scio – his name is onomatopoeic, i.e, “shoo, shoo” – often holds – or wears – the corna (the horn), which alienates the evil eye and is omnipresent in the presepe napoletano. Each scio-scio of the Ferrigno artisans – top hats crowned with horseshoes and garlic braids (for good luck) – is a masterpiece of expressive plasticity:
Sometimes, the Maradona figures are flanked by both the scio-scio and red curnicielli (” little horns” in Neapolitan dialect – “corna” in Italian), double protection against il malocchio:
Modern personages had first been added to the traditional crib scene figures by the noted Neapolitan presepari (creche-scene creators), Giuseppe and son Marco Ferrigno in 1992.
I recently visited the Ferrigno shop displaying creche scene splendor, a welcoming Scio-scio at the entrance, his top hat adorned with garlic and horseshoes for buon fortuna, the red curnicielli laced around his arms: a guarantee of good luck to anyone entering the shop…
Inside, the images of the Sacra Famiglia were prominently displayed
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Figures of the Benino, the pastore dormiente (sleeping shepherd) who dreams of the Nativity – often his sheep sleeping near his side – were here and there, too:
Exquisite craftsmanship alive in each face:
Often near the pastori dormienti, were other delightful presepe napoletano pastori (creche figures) who also bring buona fortuna – and abundance – into the home. One is the well-fed, rosy-cheeked munaciello (“little monk” in dialetto napoletano): 
Another pastore of buona fortuna is Donna Carmela, sign of earthly abundance:
And Mbriana joins her as a female portatrice di buona fortuna (“bearer of good fortune”):
Exquisite angels, garments flowing, fluttered from the ceiling of the Ferrigno bottega (workshop) above the artisans and the presepe figurines::
I chatted briefly with Marco as I knew how busy he and his artisans are as we draw closer to Christmas.
He kindly joined me for a photo as we talked:
Marco clearly remembers the ‘ first contemporary addition to creche personages: Antonio di Pietro, magistrate and lawyer famous for his investigations in the 1990’s into political corruption. Marco recounts that the idea was his father’s, “born as a way to attract the attention of the media to the investigation.. (for).. Antonio Di Pietro was a symbol of justice.”
A figure of Lady Diana followed the year after…and famous personages from all fields have followed. Nelson Mandela, George Bush, Silvio Berlusconi, Mother Theresa, Pope Francis and Luciano Pavarotti have all been presepe scene additions.
A noted Roman journalist once wrote: “to know if a current important personage is only ‘a flashing meteor’…or will remain in contemporary history, find out if the Ferrigno presepari deign to place the person in one of their famous creche scenes.”
Under Marco’s direction, his team of artisans has been adding a new personage or motif annually. This year’s innovation was the addition of the Green Pass (confirmation of vaccinations here in Italy) in the hands Magi. Marco told me, “….so that the Magi can head to Jerusalem to visit the Christ Child; after all, everyone should not have proof of vaccination when traveling..”
The year prior, figures of the heroic doctors and nurses battling COVID had appeared in the presepi:
Marco and his father Giuseppe had descended from a long line of artisans for documents date the Ferrigno first presepi creations to 1836. Marco remembers well hours in the family bottega at the feet of his papa’ Giuseppe’s clay in his hands to form into figures after school, at age six.
The Ferrigno presepare-tradition had begun in the early 19th-century when Nicola Ferrigno worked restoring important and famous presepi artistici (artistic creches scenes). His son, Salvatore (Marco’s nonno) worked with him and then began to create his own figures in terracotta.
In the 1950’s, Giuseppe and son Marco Ferrigno continued the tradition, becoming famous in Italy and not only:
Marco (age 56) is on his own now for his father, Giuseppe, “il principe del presepe” (“the creche prince”) died in 2008. The president of the Campania regional council wrote at that time, “His works, his genius, have contributed to the diffusion throughout the world of the most respected image of Naples and all the region of Campania.”
Marco is clearly a Maradona fan for the blue Maradona shirts with his number (10) – and his soccer shoes – are spread out near some of the the most treasured pastori of the Sacra Famiglia (Holy Family): 
I had asked Marco for a few words about his work as a creator of presepi. He replied without hesitation, “E’ la mia vita.” 
Wandering their shop, it is clear that ]Marco and his crew of seven artisans are committed to the continuing creation of splendid presepe tributes to Giuseppe, Salvatore and Niccolo Ferrigno.
After all, for Marco, this craft is his life.
Mille grazie, Marco, for use of the photos of your creations – and grateful thanks to you and staff for keeping alive a tradition to be cherished by all.
Read about Diego Maradona worshipped like “Dio” by the Neopolitans – and the Naples piazzetta dedicated to him
Read about il panaro in a favorite Naples restaurant
Read about my own passione for Naples
Read about why – for me – Naples is “the city of the infinite”
Click here to read about needing Naples
Read about the sleeping shepherd motif in the Neapolitan presepe
Click here to read about more symbolism in the presepe
Read about the Green Pass in Marco Ferrigno’s presepe
Read about Pino Daniele (also depicted in the creche scenes)
Read more about the history of the Neapolitan creche scene – and Ferrigno
Read about – and see! – that Ferrigno artisan splendor
Read about the Mediterranean diet presented in the Neapolitan creche
Click here to read more on the Neapolitan creche
Read about the not-to-miss Spanish Quarter of Naples
Mille grazie, Marco, for use of the photos of your creations – and grateful thanks to you and staff for keeping alive a tradition to be cherished by all.
