San Gregorio Armeno: the street of Presepe art
Naples is the heart of Southern Italy’s culture and strolling through the streets of the historic city center. You will have the chance to visit one of the landmarks that better represent Neapolitan tradition: San Gregorio Armeno.
The magic of San Gregorio Armeno
Via San Gregorio Armeno is a renowned narrow street linking Via Dei Tribunali with Spaccanapoli. The best Italian Presepe’s craftsmen work throughout the year to exhibit and sell their artworks. Well known worldwide as the street of Nativity workshops, it’s one of the top destinations for hundreds of thousands of tourists every year, aiming to admire the ancient art of Neapolitan Presepe that arose in the 18th century.
The Presepe represents the Nativity Scene, and it’s one of the most loved and ancient traditions in Italian homes. The Presepe is a small world that lives through past and present, tradition and modernity, as it carries the value of its symbolic representation but is also a creative piece of art. That is why in San Gregorio Armeno market, you will find dozens of workshops displaying all types of Presepe parts, details, and decorations, all hand-carved, assembled, and painted. Some of them specialize in the village background, lighting, water elements, houses, ancient workshops, whereas in other shops, you will find hundreds of figurines in wood, terracotta, ceramic.
Visiting San Gregorio Armeno
But Naples is the land where holy and profane combine, so through the years, San Gregorio Armeno has created a trend of original characters to add to the Presepe, designing new statuettes every year representing the most celebrities, football players, politicians, musicians. An open-air museum in the heart of Naples historical center, full of the workshop even in the small alleys and some buildings’ courtyards.
While walking, don’t miss the opportunity to stop at San Gregorio Armeno’s Church, built-in 930 a.d. over the ruins of a Roman temple and later refurbished in Baroque style.
When is the best time to visit San Gregorio Armeno? The street is amazingly lively throughout the whole year. You can visit the workshops anytime. You will have the chance to see the artisans working on their creations, especially in September-October when they are preparing for the new Christmas period. Visiting the street as a part of the Naples Walking Tour & Underground Ruins is a great idea. Don’t miss it out!
If you are visiting Naples at Christmas time, though, you will be enjoying the vibe in the company of thousands of visitors from the whole world, which is a one-of-a-kind experience. So what better than joining the Naples Christmas Market – San Gregorio Armeno?
