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32-627: It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). The town hall of the comune is in the frazione of Limiti di Greccio. Greccio was the place where, in December 1223, Saint Francis of Assisi devised the first living Nativity scene (in Italian: presepe ). The Nativity scene tradition continues there to this day, and a memorial of Saint Francis, the Sanctuary of Greccio , may be visited. The first hypothesis on

64-543: A cave near the Sanctuary of Greccio . The very small chapel where it is said to have taken place survives. The painting over its altar, and others before 1400, by Giotto at the Assisi Lower Church, and by Antonio Vite in Pistoia , depict Saint Francis kneeling and placing a small baby into a chest-like manger. Giotto adds a miniature ox and ass . The Nativity scene tradition continues there to this day, and

96-426: A colony founded by colonists from Magna Graecia . They had fled or were exiled from their homeland as a result of war. The earliest records of Greccio date back to the 10th and 11th centuries with the name of " curtis de Greze ". The Benedictine Monk, Gregory of Catino (1062–1133) refers to the town of " Grecciae " in his work " Summary Farfense ". From the remains of the ancient buildings, it shows that Greccio became

128-407: A fortified medieval castle surrounded by walls and protected by a six towers fortress. In documents from the 11th century, the toponym of Greccio is cited with many variations, until 1091, when the name " Grecciae ", from which the current name derives, seems to spread; the community also experiences a fair amount of development, favored by the abundance of flat arable land and good pastures. During

160-475: A lord, and from " greze " or " grezze " i.e. crushed stone (in Italian, pietre grezze ), which recalls the presence of a stone quarry used at the time. According to this hypothesis, the name Greccio does not therefore derive from the ancient presence of Greek colonists. Modern Greccio, which is of medieval origin, was founded on lands of ancient Greek colonization , in a place where there was, in ancient times,

192-577: A memorial of Saint Francis, the Sanctuary of Greccio, may be visited. The Hermitage of Greccio Sanctuary ( Italian : Santuario Eremo di Greccio ) is one of the four shrines erected by Saint Francis of Assisi in the Sacred Valley , along with the Sanctuary of Fonte Colombo, the Sanctuary of the Forest, and the convent of Poggio Bustone . Francis presented the first living Nativity scene in

224-536: A nativity scene art market. The living nativity scene recited by the local population, dressed in period clothing, is staged in front of the Sanctuary of Greccio, in memory of the historic event of 1223. Some scenes of the film Il vegetale (2018), directed by Gennaro Nunziante and starring Fabio Rovazzi , were filmed in Greccio. Greccio has a junction on the Rieti - Terni dual carriageway (SS 79), which runs at

256-405: A nearby cave in December 1223. Inside there are frescoes modern and original chapel of the saint carved in the rock. Francis, recalling a visit he had made years before to Bethlehem, resolved to create the manger he had seen there. The ideal spot was a cave in nearby Greccio. He would find a baby, hay upon which to lay him, an ox, and an ass to stand beside the manger. Word went out to the people of

288-404: A savior who chose to become poor for our sake, a truly human Jesus. The Sanctuary of Greccio may be visited. The medieval town that preserves part of the pavement of the old castle (11th century) and three of the six towers. The parish church of San Michele Archangel is located next to the bell tower on top of a flight of steps and dates back to the 11th century. The church was built over a part of

320-515: The Terria rail station also served the town, located near the hamlet of Spinacceto, now abolished. Greccio is twinned with: I Borghi pi%C3%B9 belli d%27Italia I Borghi più belli d'Italia ( Italian: [i ˈborɡi pju bˈbɛlli diˈtaːlja] ) is a non-profit private association of small Italian towns of strong historical and artistic interest, that was founded in March 2001 on

352-511: The 16th century. In the square, there is the Church of Santa Maria del Giglio from the 14th century. This church also is a single aisle or Nave. It has a central altar and two side altars, stucco Roman school with influences of Carlo Fontana, and tempera paintings dated to the early 15th century. The high altar preserves, a fresco, which represents the Virgin and Child with Angels. The town contains

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384-528: The Crib there are nativity scenes from all the cultures of the world on display; outside it there is a statue of Saint Francis 5 metres (16 ft) high. Greccio is surrounded by oak and elm forests, on which Mount Lacerone (1,204 metres or 3,950 feet) stands out and gives a view of the entire Rieti Valley . Here, St. Francis of Assisi, would retire in prayer and meditation in a hut protected by two hornbeam plants. In this same place, in 1712, by popular demand, it

416-747: The Franciscan order probably in 1215. In 1221, he was present at the Pentecost Chapter at the Portiuncula, and then accompanied Caesar of Speyer on his mission to Germany. The following year he became custos of the convents at Mayence, Worms, Speyer, and Cologne, and soon after, Caesar of Speyer, on his return to Italy, made him his vicar in the government of the German province. Before September 1223, Thomas returned to Italy, and lived there in close contact with Francis. Thomas's authorship of

448-421: The association meet the following requirements: integrity of the urban fabric, architectural harmony, livability of the village, artistic-historical quality of the public and private building heritage, services to the citizen as well as the payment of an annual membership fee. The association organizes initiatives within the villages, such as festivals, exhibitions, fetes , conferences and concerts that highlight

480-430: The castle. The church was destroyed and rebuilt several times. The church as a Nave and side chapels. Two of the side chapels, dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua and Our Lady Immaculate have paintings and frescoes of the 15th and 16th century, and stucco decorations created in 1636. Remarkable from an artistic point of view are the baptismal font, the main altar, a gilded silver chalice and a monstrance, all dating back to

512-486: The cultural, historical, gastronomic and linguistic heritage, involving residents, schools, and local artists. The club promotes numerous initiatives on the international market. In 2016, the association signed a global agreement with ENIT , to promote tourism in the most beautiful villages in the world. In 2017, the club signed an agreement with Costa Cruises for the enhancement of some villages, which are offered to cruise passengers arriving in Italian ports aboard

544-460: The foot of the mountains where the town stands. The Reopasto provincial road (SP1) also runs through the valley floor, the main road connecting with Rieti and Terni before the construction of the dual carriageway. Along the SP1 there are its frazioni of Spinacceto, Limiti di Greccio (where the town hall are located) and Sellecchia. The comune of Greccio and the Franciscan sanctuary are located along

576-468: The hymn " Dies Irae " are also traditionally attributed to him, but the authorship of both works is in fact uncertain. In 1260 he settled down to his last post, as spiritual director to a convent of Clarisses in Tagliacozzo , where he died some time between 1260 and 1270. He was at first buried in the church of S. Giovanni Val dei Varri, attached to his monastery, but his body is now reburied in

608-551: The initiative of the Tourism Council of the National Association of Italian Municipalities, with the aim of preserving and maintaining villages of quality heritage. Its motto is Il fascino dell'Italia nascosta ("The charm of hidden Italy"). Founded to contribute to safeguarding, conserving and revitalizing small villages and municipalities, but sometimes even individual hamlets, which, being outside

640-628: The main tourist circuits, they risk, despite their great value, being forgotten with consequent degradation, depopulation and abandonment. Initially the group included about a hundred villages, which subsequently grew up to 361 in 2023. In 2012, the Italian association was one of the founding members of the international association The Most Beautiful Villages in the World , a private organization that brings together various territorial associations promoting small inhabited centres of particular historical and landscape interest. The criteria for admission to

672-417: The most traditional, widespread and renowned economic activities are artisanal ones, such as the processing and art of iron and copper. Another important economic activity in Greccio is tourism. The town is famous for the re-enactment of the first living nativity scene made by Francis of Assisi in 1223. On this occasion, nativity scenes are present throughout the town, and the main piazza of Greccio hosts

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704-1416: The operator's ships. The regional subdivision of the villages members of the association is as follows: 31 in Marche and Umbria , 29 in Tuscany , 27 in Liguria , 26 in Abruzzo and Lombardy , 25 in Lazio , 24 in Sicily , 20 in Piedmont , 16 in Emilia-Romagna and Trentino-Alto Adige , 15 in Calabria , 14 in Apulia , 13 in Friuli-Venezia Giulia , 11 in Veneto and Campania , 9 in Sardinia and Basilicata , 4 in Molise and 3 in Aosta Valley . Thomas of Celano Thomas of Celano OFM ( Italian : Tommaso da Celano ; c. 1185 – c. 1265 )

736-516: The provincial road SP1, a branch of the SP1 which originates in Sellecchia and reconnects to the SP1 near Spinacceto. Greccio is crossed by the Terni–Sulmona railway , with trains to Terni , Rieti and L'Aquila , and is served by the Greccio rail station, located at the foot of the town in Sellecchia, 6 km (4 mi) from Greccio and 4 km (2 mi) from the sanctuary. Until 2014,

768-480: The ruined church of Santa Maria, now restored as the International Museum of the Crib, the remains of the ancient towers, one of the entrance doors, the chapel dedicated to St. Francis, with the stone on which he used to preach, and the place where, according to tradition, was launched firebrand who made public the place designated for the construction of the Sanctuary. Inside the International Museum of

800-567: The struggle with neighboring cities, the castle was destroyed in 1242 by the troops of Frederick II. They had a difficult history until 1799 when the town was destroyed and looted by the Napoleonic army. The town was called for the first time with its current name "Greccio" around 1720. Greccio was the place where, in December 1223, Saint Francis of Assisi devised the first living Nativity scene (in Italian: presepe ). This attracted would-be pilgrims who would otherwise go to Bethlehem , which

832-490: The three works on Francis of Assisi is well-established. Many researchers of the early history of the Franciscan order believe that Brother Leo , and Rufinus of Assisi , associates of Francis, were the source of the material for the Vita Secunda . Thomas also wrote Fregit victor virtualis and Sanctitatis nova signa in honor of Francis. Life of St. Clare of Assisi , on the early life of Saint Clare of Assisi , and

864-415: The town. At the appointed time, the townspeople arrived carrying torches and candles. One of the friars began celebrating Mass while Francis himself gave the sermon. His biographer, Thomas of Celano , recalls that Francis stood before the manger, overwhelmed with love and filled with a wonderful happiness. For Francis, the simple celebration was meant to recall the hardships Jesus suffered even as an infant,

896-485: The tymology of the town's name is linked to the settlement of ancient Greek colonists in the same place where Greccio now stands. Hence the name, according to this hypothesis, Grecia , Grece , Grecce and finally Greccio. According to other hypotheses, the name of Greccio used during the Middle Ages, " curtis de Greze ", derives from " curtis ", i.e. from a self-sufficient medieval economic organization managed by

928-463: The western edge of the Rieti Valley , at 705 metres (2,313 ft) above sea level (about 300 metres (980 ft) higher than the valley floor). The flat part of the town territory extends into the underlying Rieti Valley and includes the frazioni of Spinacceto, Limiti di Greccio (where the town hall is located) and Sellecchia. Distances from the most important population centers: Among

960-562: Was a risky venture because the Holy Land was then under the control of the Turks . Francis' 1223 living nativity scene is commemorated on the calendars of the Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican liturgical calendars, and its creation is described by Saint Bonaventure in his Life of Saint Francis of Assisi c. 1260. Saint Francis' manger scene is said to have been enacted at Christmas 1223 in

992-876: Was an Italian friar of the Franciscans ( Order of Friars Minor ) as well as a poet and the author of three hagiographies about Francis of Assisi . Thomas was born sometime between 1185 and 1190, into the noble family of the Conti dei Marsi at Celano in the Province of the Abruzzi. He received a sound liberal arts education, possibly at the Benedictine monastery of Saint John the Baptist near Celano. His familiarity with monastic tradition suggests that he may have studied at Monte Cassino , Rome or Bologna. He joined

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1024-590: Was built a memorial chapel dedicated to him, "the chapel". Here Saint Francis of Assisi used to retreat in prayer and meditation, in a hut protected by two hornbeam trees. On the top stands "la Cappelletta", a small chapel built in 1792 in his memory. The town of Greccio is located in Sabina , in Upper Lazio , on the border with Umbria . The medieval town of Greccio stands on a ridge of the Monti Sabini , on

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