5.9K views · 193 reactions | In its present form, the custom of displaying figures depicting the birth of Christ owes its origin to St. Francis of Assisi, who made the Christmas crèche for Christmas Eve of 1223. | United States Conference of Catholic Bishops | Facebook

263K views · 2.6K reactions | Do we know the location of the first Nativity scene? | Drive Thru History | Facebook

The monumental “cork nativity,” created in 1871 by Lorenzo Taglioni, is a rare masterpiece where engineering and art come together. ‌ More than two meters long, this extraordinary work uses a hidden mechanical system to open a cork model of the Temple of Neptune at Paestum, transforming it theatrically into a Nativity scene with shepherds. Even more remarkably, the base once included a sound box that played a lullaby. ‌ Over 200 figures, dressed in the traditional costume of the Kingdom of the T