San Gregorio Armeno

San Gregorio Armeno isn’t a street that exists only in December and that magically disappears in the rest of the year. This street, with its shepherd, its passionate artisans and its ancient atmosphere it is always there, even when it’s not Christmas time, even when it is not necessary to define the pedestrian way (yes, in the Christmas time in San Gregorio is necessary to regulate the pedestrian affluence). Everybody want to see San Gregorio in that period, maybe because they desperately look for a sense for this celebration among the cork crèches and earthen shepherd. The beauty and the charm of the Neapolitan crèche is due to the fact that the nativity is set in the city. That’s why there are typical characters in this crèche that don’t exist in the Catholic tradition, but loved by the Neapolitans as it was: Among this characters which represent the jobs of the city in 1600 have fun looking for “Benino”, the shepherd who sleeps, or Cicci Bacco, the drunk man, traditionally represented unstably balanced on a barrel. Just one tip to you: try to visit this place in a calm period, to have the possibility to see the streets and all its wonders with tranquillity, but if you can’t or you don’t want to, and you prefer to go there in the Christmas period, be ready to push yourself through the crowd.