The exhibition “The Nativity of Mary. Art and Tradition in Trapani” was inaugurated on 28 November at the Pepoli Regional Museum in Trapani, offering visitors a fascinating journey through one of Sicily’s most deeply rooted religious and cultural traditions.
Promoted by the Regional Department of Cultural Heritage and Sicilian Identity, the exhibition provides an opportunity to discover the long-standing devotion to the Nativity of Mary, celebrated by the Catholic Church on 8 September with a solemn feast of very ancient origins. In particular, the exhibition highlights a tradition closely linked to the Trapani area, where from the mid-18th century until relatively recent times it was customary for families to recreate the Nativity of Mary in their homes using 18th-century wooden statues.
The events surrounding Mary’s birth and childhood are narrated in the Protoevangelium of James, an apocryphal text dating back to the 2nd century AD. This account describes the story of Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anne, and the miraculous conception that followed twenty years of childless marriage. Although the text is not officially recognized by the Church, it has had a profound influence on religious devotion and iconography. The Feast of the Nativity of Mary itself, however, is fully recognized by the Church and dates back to the 5th century, when it was established in Jerusalem in conjunction with the dedication of a basilica traditionally believed to have been built on the site of the Virgin’s birthplace.
The exhibition at the Pepoli Museum features a detailed reconstruction of the palace of Saints Joachim and Anne, arranged in several meticulously recreated rooms. The scenes are populated with wooden and wax figurines, dressed in fabric garments, depicting noblewomen, prominent figures and servants from the 18th century. The setting is enriched with miniature furniture, carved, gilded and painted, as well as mirrors and decorative objects that faithfully reproduce the Sicilian Rococo style, offering visitors an evocative glimpse into aristocratic life of the period.
The exhibition brings together a valuable collection of works, some of which come from private collections, and represents an unmissable cultural experience for visitors to Trapani who wish to explore the close connection between art, religious tradition and local identity.
The exhibition will be open to the public until 30 June 2026, making it a long-term cultural highlight in Trapani’s museum landscape.
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