On Sunday, December 7, 2025, at 3:00 PM, at the Scuderie of Palazzo Moroni, the eighth edition of the nativity scene exhibition will be inaugurated, organized by the Cammino ad Oriente Association, in collaboration with the Department of Culture of the Municipality of Padua.
The new edition of the Exhibition proposes a journey through dioramas and round nativity scenes that will lead visitors to explore the two main styles that can characterize nativity representations.
In the first section of the exhibition, some dioramas created by the members of the Cammino ad Oriente Association over the past few years will be presented to the public. The diorama, which originated in Spain in the early 1900s and was later exported to Italy, has always fascinated the public, from the smallest visitors to the largest, as it sparks the impression of standing in front of a much larger, almost infinite space, despite being built within a relatively small physical space. To achieve this result, three fundamental elements must be considered during its construction: the use of perspective, lighting, and color.
In the second section, open nativity scenes, also known as “round,” will be displayed. They have the characteristic of being visible on three or four sides and, unlike dioramas, are not enclosed by a structure that contains them. There are no perspective or optical effects to create the illusion of depth; instead, architectural and landscape elements play the leading roles in narrating the episode related to the Nativity.
This year, for the first time, a collaboration has been established with the AIAP office in Verona, which represents the Italian Association of Friends of the Nativity Scene in Veneto.
Hours: From Tuesday to Sunday and December 8: from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM and from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM
December 25, January 1, and Mondays: 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Cammino ad Oriente Association
camminoadoriente@gmail.com
Department of Culture and Tourism
paganinl@comune.padova.it