The history of the Living Crib of
Venegono Inferiore

The decision of a few friends gave beginning in 1972 to this "adventure" here narrated; it will be better understood by an over view of the happenings of the preceding years.

The Sixties: Social-political ferments in the world
The Sixties in Venegono Inferiore
The oratorio as a gathering point
The live presepio is born
The tradition of the Crib in Venegono Inferiore
The first Living Crib

The Sixties: Social-political ferments in the world

The Sixties, in European Countries, were characterized by an economic boom due to the re-construction from the ruins of the Second World War. At the social level the Youth and the Workers became deeply aware of new social and economical problems and began a protest movement against the establishment. At the same time, in the United States, the protest against the horrors of the bloody Vietnam war, a conflict which lasted for several years with seemingly no end, got stronger and more vocal. In China, in the latter part of the Sixties, Mao Tse-Tung started the "Cultural Revolution" by mobilizing millions of young people. For their struggle the young people of China took inspiration from the famous "Red Book", a collection of Mao's thoughts and quotes which spread greatly even in the western world, where it drew great attraction and some support for the Chinese leader's program. Civil servants, managers and white collars workers were sent among the peasants; millions of students began working in government farms thus creating a sort of equality among social classes.

THE SIXTIES A Magi's parade along Leopardi Street led by Don Angelo Borgonovo

In May 1968, in France, troubles broke out in the Universities; the protests rapidly spread even into Italy and in other European countries. That was the beginning of the Student Movement which will continue for several years. 1968 was also the year in which Prague was invaded and Czechoslovakia taken over by Soviet troops in order to quash the process of liberalization,known as the "Spring of Prague", initiated by its President, Alexander Dubcek, leader of the moderate wing of the government. In Italy, the following year, a period of great Labor unrest began; workers, awaken to their role, started a series of demands, led by the Unions, in what became known as "Autunno caldo", that is, " Hot Autumn". The end of the Sixties was marked by the insurgence of a "dark" period of terrorism never completely explained! The first act of a long sequence of slaughters was the bombing at the "Banca Nazionale dell'Agricoltura", (National Bank for Agriculture), at Piazza Fontana, in the City of Milan, December 12, 1969.

The Sixties in Venegono Inferiore

In Venegono Inferiore all these ferments were also felt but in softer way, typical of a more peaceful atmosphere of the Province and of a small town. Our town obtained its administrative independence from Venegono Superiore in 1960 and during those turbulent years was in the process of gradually organizing its political and administrative structures. In 1960 the inhabitants of Venegono Inferiore were 2914 but withing ten years they grew to 4082. This data shows, even in our town, a great influx of emigrants from other regions of Italy, searching for job opportunities. This became the dynamic factor of this period of time. The Pastor, Don Angelo Borgonovo died April 12, 1969. He led our parish community during the years following WWII. He rallied the community in the process of restructuring and of re-building.
He was succeeded by Don Carlo Lucini with a new Associate Pastor, Don Terenzio Borra who replaced Don Giuseppe Cazzaniga.

The oratorio as a gathering point

For many years to the present day the Youth Center or Oratorio has been the gathering point of Venegono’s youth; it is really the only place where young people can meet, socialize, play and have fun with friends of their age. Kids cannot work yet and only a few can afford, at great sacrifice of their families, a higher education. The economic opportunities of Venegono’s families are still limited. There isn’t much to do for young people when they are not in school; there are no discos in town, motorcycles are few, cars are still a dream for many and video and computer games are not easily available. The Oratorio is the place to come for kids where they can find activities and games suited to their age in an environment conducive to both education and recreation. There is also a theater where they can watch movies appropriately chosen for their age. Occasionally they even engage in stage plays which develop their talents and skills.
A few years ago, Don Terenzio, one of our former Associate Pastors, met many of the new challenges of the day and responded to the changing needs of Society by introducing a series of new initiatives. From December 1965 to November 1971 a newsletter was produced, the “Venegono Junior” which was the continuation of the previous Associate Pastor, Don Giuseppe’s “Il Batalanino”.
Both Don Giuseppe and Don Terenzio were very innovative and produced many new religious, social and recreational programs. The Oratorio celebrated the feast of Pentecost with a torchlight procession, on the Vigil, departing from the renown “Sacro Monte” of Varese. On the first of July, every year, many young people, chaperoned by their Associate Pastor, went camping in the picturesque Alps of Chiareggio in Sondrio Province. This yearly camping replaced the pioneering and adventurous field trips made with poor resources in the forest of Venegono. Volleyball and basketball tournaments were organized in addition to the popular soccer games. The first tentative theatrical plays became gradually more accomplished under the direction of Bruno Maffioli who in December 1966 conducted the “Il giovane Luca”.

GYMNASTIC DEMONSTRATION The athletes of the Societa’ Ginnastica Arcobaleno perform at Saltrio at the beginning of the ‘70s

In September 1970 the “Societa’ Ginnastica Arcobaleno” (the Rainbow Gymnastic Club) was formed in the Oratorio as a sequel of the first series of the Youth Games which, together with the CSI, promotes sport programs at the local level with emphasis on the athletics. This club involved many participants who eventually gave beginning to many other activities and had a vital role, at its beginning, in the formulation of our live Presepio which is the now celebrated Christmas Play.
Don Terenzio was instrumental in making Venegono’s youth sensitive to the new social issues.. For a few years many young people spent Christmas day at the retirement home “Poretti & Magnani” of Vedano Olona providing service and companionship to the old residents. Don Terenzio also fostered missionary awareness, so for several years, from 1968 to 1971, a group of “Oratorians” promoted the collection of paper and scrap material to raise funds to send to the Venegono’s missionaries abroad. The collecting point of all this material was the courtyard known as “curt d’Assisi”, located North of the Parish church where now are the “giardinetti”, or little gardens on Don Minzoni Street.

The live presepio is born

On June 8, 1969 the new pastor, Don Carlo Lucini, made his official entry into Venegono Inferiore, coming from the town of Lissone where for eight years he was the Director of the girls pastoral programs. This experience inspired him to move our girls Sunday’s activities from the “Asilo” or kindergarten, to a place of their own..

COURT D’ASSISI The interior of the dilapidated building before being demolished

He only needed the space and the above mentioned “curt d’Assisi”, which was in poor structural conditions, being in proximity to the church, seemed the ideal spot. In the middle of 1970 Don Carlo contacted the owner of the property, the Marquis Antonio Citterio who gladly sold it the following year. In the “curt d’Assisi “, typically of all peasants courtyard of the region, there is an area reserved to the stalls where animals are kept. It was by looking at those stalls that Don Carlo envisioned the natural place for a Christmas crib or Presepio. Unfortunately the structure was so dilapidated that, in 1972, it had to be demolished; but the idea of the Presepio survived and like a “bug” started working in the mind of many interested people and today it is a reality.

The tradition of the Crib in Venegono Inferiore

The custom of making the Christmas Crib is deep rooted in the People of Venegono. Since the beginning of the Forties the Pastor, Don Angelo Borgonovo, promoted the "home crib", initiative which still continues with the contest of cribs both by the children and by the youth in the Oratorio, that is, the Youth Center. On the occasion of Christmas of 1936 the Associate Pastor, Don Giuseppe Zanoni, who the previous year took the place of Don Edoardo Benetti, wrote in the "Notizie Cronologiche della nostra Parrocchia", the book of "Parish Chronicles" that the "Blessing of homes"was done solely by the Associate Pastor in four days time, due to the serious health problems of the Pastor, Don Giovanni Benetti, who subsequently died on June 29, 1937. Don Giuseppe also notes that the population accepted well the invitation of doing the home cribs because they saw their high quality and the skills of the "artists".

EPIPHANY 1951 A picture of the first parade with the Magi on horse back. From left to right are: Giacomo Flavio Peron, Gianluigi Antognazza, Bruno Maffioli

Don Giuseppe, among many other accomplishments, built the house for the Associate Pastor adjacent to the Oratorio (Boys youth center), which was then located on Monte Santo Street. Don Giuseppe was transferred on November 8, 1937, the day after the new Pastor, Don Angelo Borgonovo, took charge of the Parish. From the Book of Chronicles we also read about the "coming of the Magi" on the Epiphany of 1951, performed by the Youth Center youth, dressed in the proper attires with pages and horses all convening to the kindergarten playground taking off from three different locations of the town. Don Angelo decided to dedicate the day of Epiphany to the Holy Childhood by organizing parades which from the kindergarten moved to the church and by initiating a collection for the benefit of poor children.

The first Living Crib

The group which did the first Living Crib was made of youth, some younger, some older: the first with the inexperience but with the enthusiasm typical of their age, the second with the conscious vision that the project was worth the effort. So on Christmas 1972 began the "adventure" which no one could have imagined it would continue for so long and that, in spite of its high and low points, as we will write in the following pages, it keeps going on for thirty years, truly a rare example of longevity. The wonder of such long existence of this project is even greater if we consider the great commitment it requires. It gives great pleasure to witness the evolving of the Living Crib through the years, much like a fire which at first starts with sparkling little flames, then it settles down with embers that keep the fire alive, till it starts again to become a great bonfire. This metaphor characterizes the structure of this book which tells the story of the Living Crib in three phases: the first editions, reflecting the fervor of its novelty, followed by a phase of sluggishness when the live performances come to a halt and finally the years of a vibrant resumption, up to the recent performances always more impressive. In thirty years the Living Crib of Venegono Inferiore has grown to a point of reaching national relevance. This fact is evidenced by the many authoritative acknowledgments, among others one book of Fabbri Editori, 1998, which is part of the collection "Great Manuals". Rosalba Silvestri in the historical notes of her "Modeling the Crib with wooden stucco", thus qualifies the Living Crib.." not only as a sacred performance, but most of all, as a preservation of historical and cultural values of the ambient concerning human realities alive in the past and which continues in the present. Famous are", Silvestri wrote, "the Cribs of Rivisondoli (AQ), Custonaci (TP), Venegono Inferiore (VA), Nogara and Bovolone (VR)".