Every two years, since 2010, the volunteers of Fanano, a small town on the slopes of Monte Cimone, manage to recreate a unique atmosphere for two days, on 24 December 2024, 29 December 2024 and 5 January 2025, in the true spirit of the Christmas tradition.
The town, which still maintains its architecturally ancient base and has not been completely overwhelmed by modernity, is set up as the "Fanano of the past", as the volunteers like to call it.
Over 250 local actors will take to the streets carrying the ancient crafts: if for some it will be the thrill of repeating the hard work of their grandparents learned as children, for others it will instead be the opportunity to bring their current work to the streets, but carried out as in antiquity. In short, a didactic way of understanding how one worked and lived in the past, in a world where everything was not so "cooked and eaten", but worked on for a long time. So here is the "Fanano of the past", illuminated only by soft torches, which will show itself in all its beauty: ancient buildings open, cellars that come back to life, men with cloaks, women with headscarves and long skirts, butchers, blacksmiths, carpenters, straw men, coopers, farmers who harvest grain, stonemasons and many other protagonists of these two unique nights. The Live Nativity will be open to visitors from approximately 6 pm, with the beginning of the "nativity" procession at 10 pm.
On December 24, Christmas Eve, there will be the religious function following the procession in the Church of San Silvestro at 11 pm.
On December 29th there will be a non-religious representation, without processions but with the possibility of seeing the ancient crafts, visiting the villages and tasting the foods of the past.
5 January the program will be basically the same, with the addition of some food stands that will prepare hot dishes for the many tourists and onlookers who will come up to follow the Nativity. During the Christmas holidays, between the two days of the Nativity scene (December 24, 2024 and January 5, 2025) it will be possible to go around the Center of Fanano and see the preparations prepared.
