Christmas in Greccio: the living nativity

Greccio is a village of 1,400 inhabitants perched at 705 metres on Monte Lupara, above the Rieti plain, in northern Lazio on the edge of Umbria. It was here, on Christmas night 1223, that Francis of Assisi had the Nativity re-enacted with real people and real animals, in a cave lent by the local lord Giovanni Velita: the first nativity scene, the one from which all the others descend. Greccio Christmas market counts for little beside that; what draws people is the Greccio living nativity, the historical re-enactment performed every winter since 1972 in a natural amphitheatre below the sanctuary, between 24 December and Epiphany. The 2026-2027 dates have not yet been published by the Pro Loco; in 2025 the performances took place on the evening of 24 December, then on 26, 27 and 28 December, and on 1, 3, 4 and 6 January 2026.

1223: the first nativity scene, in a cave in the Sabine hills

Between 1223 and 1226, Francis of Assisi stayed in Greccio several times. At Christmas 1223, back from the Holy Land, he wanted to show the villagers the poverty of Christ’s birth: a manger, hay, an ox and a donkey, villagers in the roles, in a cave on the hillside. Tradition adds that the Child, the only inanimate figure in the scene, came to life for a moment in his arms before turning back into a statue. The Greccio sanctuary was built around this cave: the small chapel of the Presepio, built in 1228, is its core, set “like an eagle’s nest” into the rock at over 600 metres above sea level, some fifteen kilometres from Rieti.

The Franciscans are still there, and the place, nicknamed the Franciscan Bethlehem, receives visits that show its weight: John Paul II in 1983, then Pope Francis, privately in 2016 and publicly in 2019, when he signed there the letter Admirabile signum on the meaning of nativity scenes. A modern church of the Immaculate Conception, built in 1959, displays nativity scenes and stained glass on Franciscan history. Greccio has been twinned with Bethlehem since 1992, and the sanctuary, like those of Fonte Colombo, Poggio Bustone and La Foresta, is part of the Valle Santa, the holy valley of Rieti.

The Greccio living nativity: living tableaux below the sanctuary

The historical re-enactment has existed since 1972, staged by the Greccio Pro Loco. It is performed on the esplanade below the sanctuary, a natural amphitheatre where stands seating 1,300 are put up for the occasion, about two kilometres from the village. The performers in medieval costume run through six living tableaux according to Turisti per Caso, three according to Il Quotidiano del Lazio: Francis’s life as a hermit, his lesson in humility, his meeting with the lord Giovanni Velita, then the birth of Christ and the miracle of the Child. In 2025 the edition marked the 802nd anniversary of the night of 1223.

The calendar follows a fixed rhythm: a first performance on Christmas night, at around 10.40pm, then sessions at 5.40pm on 26, 27 and 28 December and on 1, 3, 4 and 6 January. Access to the stands is by ticket, sold online under the arrangements announced by the Pro Loco in December; the 2026 price has not been published. It is cold in the evening at 700 metres in December, in a valley that often sees snow: a thick coat and good shoes are half the show.

Greccio Christmas market and the nativity museum

The village accompanies the living nativity with a mostra mercato, “Greccio… il presepio”, an exhibition and sale of crafts and nativity-scene items that the municipality describes as an annual initiative tied to the village’s identity. In 2025 its 27th edition ran from 29 November 2025 to 6 January 2026, from 10am to 6pm, free to enter; the municipality has already issued the call for exhibitors for the 28th edition in 2026-2027, without publishing the dates. You will find nativity figures, crib accessories, wooden objects and produce from the Rieti countryside on the village’s small squares.

The Museo Internazionale del Presepio, reopened in December 2025 with refurbished collections, displays nativity scenes from all over Italy and beyond; since 15 September 2026 it has been open every day except Monday. The Sentiero degli Artisti, a trail of open-air artworks, links the lanes. And to carry on the theme, Umbria is next door: Assisi Christmas market and the city of Saint Francis are to the north, and Rome Christmas market and its piazza Navona to the south.

Practical information: 2026 dates, tickets, getting to Greccio

The 2026-2027 dates remain to be confirmed by the Greccio Pro Loco; the calendar repeats the same evenings every year, from 24 December to 6 January.

• Where: Greccio sanctuary, 02045 Greccio (province of Rieti), two kilometres from the village, for the living nativity; the market and the museum are in the village.
• When: 2026 dates to be confirmed; in 2025, living nativity on 24 December at 10.40pm, then on 26, 27, 28 December and 1, 3, 4, 6 January at 5.40pm; mostra mercato from 29 November to 6 January, 10am-6pm.
• How much: village, sanctuary and market free to enter; living nativity stands ticketed, 2026 price to be confirmed.
• Getting there: Greccio station (at Sellecchia, about 6 km from the village) on the Terni-Rieti-L’Aquila line, change at Terni from Rome, then taxi or shuttle; by car, Rieti-Terni expressway (SS79), Greccio exit, then the road to the sanctuary.
• Nearby: Rome Christmas market, Assisi Christmas market and Perugia Christmas market in Umbria.

Getting to Greccio from France

Greccio is reached via Rome. By air, Fiumicino airport is linked to Paris-Charles de Gaulle by Air France and to Lyon, Nice and Marseille by easyJet, and the Leonardo Express reaches Termini station in 32 minutes for €14. By train from Paris, everything goes through Milan: the TGV and Frecciarossa Paris-Turin-Milan trains have been running again via the Maurienne valley since spring 2025, with direct services suspended for works from 11 September to 9 October 2026, before the season; the shortest combination described by Seat61 leaves Paris-Gare de Lyon at 6.28am and arrives at Roma Termini at 5.40pm, from €35 for Paris-Milan and €29.90 for Milan-Rome. From Rome, trains on the Rome-Ancona line serve Terni, where you change for the Terni-Rieti-L’Aquila line and its Greccio station, in the hamlet of Sellecchia, about 6 km from the village (some thirty regional trains a day); that leaves the climb to the village and the sanctuary, by taxi or by local shuttle when the Pro Loco runs one.

The car remains the most convenient option for the living nativity evenings, which finish late: a hire car in Rome, the A1 motorway north then the Rieti-Terni expressway. From France by road, the Mont Blanc or Fréjus tunnel (toll), then the A1 along its whole length: a very long day from Lyon, to be broken with a night in Florence or in Umbria. In winter the road to the sanctuary can be snow-covered; suitable tyres are a must.