Liber præsepiorum

The Municipal Administration of Venegono Inferiore issued, at the end of 2002, the Book "Liber Praesepiorum", 1972-2002, thirthy years of the Living Crib in Venegono Inferiore". The Liber traces the history of the Living Crib from its origins to the present day in all of its editions, by collecting news, data, images and the scripts of all performances.
The Liber will be a source of information of all past editions played on this site, and it will as well be the ideal tool to continue collecting and keeping memories for future generations.

The cover of the book

As preamble we here give the testimonials of Cremona Emilio and Tommaso Valle ,respectively Mayor, 1994-2004 and Alderman of Culture, 1995-2004; of Don Giandomenico Colombo, Pastor in Venegono Inferiore, 1996-2008; and of Don Carlo Lucini, Pastor from 1969 to 1996.

Thirty years of history of the Living Crib are thirty years of Venegono's life. This was the assumption which immediately moved the local government to support the idea of writing a book which would tell, year by year, what in fact has become the longest tradition of Venegono Inferiore. The Authors were particularly skillful in collecting memories, pictures, texts with complete details, making a directory, so to say, of an event which annually calls for the commitment of dozens and dozens of Venegonesi as well as the interest of thousands of spectators from the entire region and beyond. This was the moving reason: sharing those memories with the future generations.
But the work of the Authors did not stop here. With each passing year the Book opens a window on a "world" which involves itself around the imperturbable "presepiatt", giving the Living Crib the characteristic of a fixed point of reference and this continued experience has lived on to become history.
It is the clear intent of the Authors to have people re-read the story through the experience of a Community which finds itself, year after year, representing the Nativity of Christ, each time grasping and presenting new nuances in order to make visible to all the Good News of the Christian message.
In the end, the real value of the Book is in reminding everyone, even those far from the faith, about the fundamental teaching which we learn from common experience, namely, that cooperating and working together in an orderly fashion and with well defined tasks, always make for a common result.
For this reason we believe the Book of the Crib can be a valuable gift to all families in response to a wish we have heard the Community around through the years.

Emilio Cremona
mayor, 1994-2004
Tommaso Valle
alderman of Culture, 1995-2004

There are traditions that do not stand the test of time, or rather, they do their time and then leave room for other initiatives. The tradition of the Crib in Venegono Inferiore has stood the test of time and has even entered the history of the Community as it celebrates its thirtieth Edition. Thirty years is a long period of time,which in itself constitutes a happy surprise for the same project. The implementation of the Living Crib began quietly but gradually, driven by the enthusiasm of its supporters. It has become an expected celebration performed by many participating Citizens of Venegono and enjoyed by thousand's of Visitors from the immediate area and beyond.
The core message is to yet propose the announcement which changed history:God became Man and came to dwell among us. Every year we relieve the "magic" of Christmas revisited under different angles, with particular emphasis to the spiritual journey of the Church-Community together with its Diocesan Bishop.
Around the spectacle of a Birth, as if in a miracle, all human experiences are played out; the hard labor takes on new meaning, misunderstandings and divisions are recomposed, disagreements are settled and broken relationships are reconnected and people return to live in peace. Jesus truly came to bring this change of hearts. Is this just a fairy tale to make us all feel better at Christmas? We believe that the purpose of our Crib is precisely to make us ask ourselves: "Why not believing? Why not trying to live our lives as the one portrayed in the Crib, even if less poetic and certainly harsher and more demanding than our everyday one lived in Venegono, both in the streets and in our homes.
I hope that the Crib, rendered through its artistic production, may be a continued reminder of what we are and what we should be everyday as shown in the played script. Then our new found goodness will reflect the very Christmas of God in our land!

don Giandomenico Colombo
pastor, 1996-2008

The things of God, as always, are born in simplicity and poverty of means. Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to the grain of mustard, small yet capable of developing into a big tree and of sheltering in its branches the birds of the sky.
The Venegono's Living Crib origins were also modest indeed. It all began by chance. In 1972 the Parish purchased from Count Citterio the "Court d'Assis", a dilapidated house built along side the church thus depriving it both of space and breath. Its demolition brought two advantages: it provided the needed space so the church could be finally appear in all its architectural lines and it created an area suitable for other parish activities, such a September Fest. Instead the idea was born to use this area for a full size Crib with real structures and live animals.
We though about the leading "player", the Child Jesus and went to order the statue from the famous "Mussner" Company of Ortisei. Then with poor means we built a hut with attached barn and a landscape the best our imagination could produce. People liked it because of its novelty. When something comes out right the first time you alwas tend to repeat it and improve it and so every year the Living Crib, in its various editions, became history for Venegono Inferiore. It wasn't going to undo the other renown Crib of the Comboni Missionaries of Venegono Superiore.!
This Book was born with the desire to narrate the various editions of the Living Crib which, in spite of the many difficulties, was repeated year after year in a crescendo of success and participation of the Public. The richness of the narratives, the stages, and photographs are a demonstration. I leave this task to the Authors.
I would like to emphasize the results the living Crib has produced, that of molding together, in a brand of friendly cooperation, the partnership of all builders: those who just wanted to get involved,those others who specialized in some specific craft or had designing skills, others yet able to find construction material and were able to build with high precision and then the "dreamers", those with high fantasy, able to produce narratives and put it into a play with various scenes and episodes. It was if an ancient society built on craftsmanship has come alive!
Thirty years is more than one generation, so we can say that an entire generation of Venegonesi contributed and made themselves part of the history of their Community.
We should also emphasize the religious aspect of this endeavor which helped make the participants truly "preachers" of the Gospel. What could have ever led a group of people so large and compact, to deal for months aand months with hard work, in cold weather and in sickness, sometimes letting out some lively remarks which betrayed some frustration, (as the one about Noah who supposedly built the Ark in spite of the misunderstanding oof the sckepticals!), if not the noble purpose of presenting the Christmas message of the Word of God made Man?
There is even a missionary component in presenting the mystery of the Incarnation to countless spectators, coming from afar,to to admire this artistic work done through so many months of preparation.
Visiting the latest edition I have recognized, after so many years and my hair turned white, some who have seen the birth of this initiative and others who helped produce, from a simple vision, the first edition thus beginning this story and ensuring its continuity. Others I did not see as they have already crossed the treshold oof eternity. Theirs is all the joy that the Lord has prepared for those who, even through this humble work, wanted to express the love for their faith.

don Carlo Lucini
pastor, 1969-1996

Thus began the Liber Praesepiorum...

Crib (less com. presepe) s.m.
[from lat. praesepium or Praesepe "rack,
manger "strap, closing with a hedge
(lat.saeps saepis)] -
1. b. In com., Plastic representation
of the birth of Jesus that we do
in our churches and in our homes,
during the Christmas Holiday and Epiphany,
recreating on a stage, with figures
made of various materials and in
a reconstructed more or less
realistic way (sometimes also anachronistic),
the scene of the Nativity and
Adoration of the Magi..