Self-propelled nativity scene by Giacomo Randazzo

Created for the first time in 1955 by the artist's father (Lorenzo), the nativity scene, which since 1988 is shown annually on the occasion of Christmas, at the premises of the Municipality of Cinisi, is the result of the creation of Giacomo Randazzo (he made it starting from 1986). Thus he follows in his father's footsteps but improves the construction of the houses that make up the urban landscape represented by trying to reproduce a glimpse, as faithful as possible, of the Cinisi of the past. In his crib, in fact, the houses, reproduced on a scale of 1:10, are made of masonry, plastered in white; in some the plaster is degraded, fractured and reveals the underlying tuff ashlars; the roofs reproduce the covering and the gutters in Sicilian tiles. Inside each small building, the rooms are furnished, the shelves and tables full of everyday objects. Even the Mother Church of Cinisi is reproduced revealing, from the opening of the entrance, the entire architectural and decorative interior (the pilasters and frames, the paintings) and the faithful seated between the pews.

Everything is made using the same materials of the royal town (such as tuff, stone, wood, terracotta) thus reproducing a glimpse of daily life between characters intent on their trades. The result, the fruit of a meticulous research on the traditions and ancient crafts of Sicily, is the reproduction of the peasant and urban environment of Sicily after World War II where the main economic resources were represented by agriculture and livestock. The artist is thus able to pass on the vision of an everyday life that has now disappeared, albeit in miniature. The characters (16 cm high) who animate the nativity scene, that is, the carpenter, the blacksmith, the embroiderer, the shoemaker, the ricotta, the miller, to name a few, can be recognized by their gestures and by the carefully reconstructed shops, in which the faithful reproductions of the tools of the trade find their place. The crib is called self-propelled, since the wooden statuettes are equipped with mechanized movements made by means of joints between the joints: for example, in the reproduction of the carpenter's arm, only 7 cm long, there are five joints placed near the shoulder , arm, elbow, forearm and wrist, so that the movement feels as realistic as possible. So they are connected to mechanical gears and electrical wires. Even the statuette representing the sexton reproduces the gesture of ringing the bells; the Sicilian cart runs through the streets of the reproduced scenographic apparatus and, in the classic nativity scene, the Madonna cradles the Baby Jesus. The clothes that dress the statuettes are in fabric and handmade. Year after year the crib has been enriched and continues to be enriched with new characters, new professions and new environments.