Old traditions and ancient customs relive in Christmas here in Abruzzo, within the picturesque snow-capped mountains. The days before Christmas Eve, bagpipers come down from the Gran Sasso and the Majella mountains to warm up the villages with Christmas nenias. That’s the signal that the feast is approaching.

Photo courtesy of Antonio Bini

Typical of the Christmas period are also the living nativity scenes, which are still today set up in large part of Abruzzo. Particularly striking is the one inside the Grotte di Stiffe. The most important however is the crib of Rivisondoli, represented by the magnificent mountain scenery of this village, whose old town turns into a little Bethlehem till the Epiphany.

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