At Home : Letters from Italy at the Time of Coronavirus. Story Ten : Naples (and the Presepio)
My friend Alberto is a gifted presepio artist who lives in the community of Barra in Naples.
Alberto’s presepio, or creche figures, are remarkable 12 centimeter (3.75 inch) terracotta statuettes that are part of a traditional Neapolitan artisan craft.
With greatest care, Alberto makes each torso mold and then creates the detail on each figure, adding arms, legs and hands, all of which are modeled entirely by hand. He forms and delineates with clarity each tiny finger, musculature of an arm, flex of an elbow, undulation of a rib cage and chest, and most of all, models the face.
While Alberto produces the Holy Family, kings and angels, the majority of his figures are participants in local life who crowd the scene of the Nativity, reflect both poverty and nobility, are local and exotic, and are always exceptionally beautiful.
They are painted by his wife Cristina, who like Alberto has both a gift and a passion for this work.
Alberto writes :
“We are fortunately all well. In Naples we have the virus but it is nothing compared to the north where the situation has been truly dramatic during the last month. The situation is improving but is always in flux.
Through this pandemic we Neapolitans have lived tightly sealed in our houses. My four children have not left our home for one month. My wife Cristina goes out rarely, and for never more than a few minutes. Once a week I go to the supermarket, and rarely to any stores, only if there is a true emergency.
The first two weeks I did not go to work at all, but after that I ventured over to my studio, taking full precautions. There was no business in any case, since I can’t send my work out, and orders are flat, but nevertheless, I live to make presepio figures so that is what I went back to doing, just a few, to have some ready for “after”. It has been a difficult few weeks, and working keeps me busy and is helpful in keeping my mind off my anxiety.
Initially the pandemic made me deeply anxious, for my family and for my work, but after a few weeks of quarantine my worries diminished a bit. I felt that there was again some energy in air. The singing began again on the balconies !
Right now my feeling is just one of being tired, because now it is understood that the general situation is complex and it will take a very long time for life to return to its old ways.
In the evenings, just before sunset, I go out onto my balcony and I look out over the center of Naples. The evenings have been so beautiful, the sky absolutely fantastic thanks to the absence of pollution. The wonder of that view gives me strength.
Having four children at home has not been so easy. Chiara and Luciano do some homework even if online lessons don’t work very well at their schools which really were not set up for virtual teaching. Antonio, our eldest, last year graduated from his artistic high school and in November began studying photography. He has a great passion for it, and in quarantine he’s had some online theory lessons, but of course not any of the practical experience. Stefano is in his last year of preschool and also has been given homework, which his teacher sends, he completes, we photograph and then send back to her via WhatsApp. Luckily there are these technologies, which really are fundamental now if you are to keep going.
I haven’t seen my parents for a month. You know that they both have health issues and I don’t want to put them at risk, so I don’t visit. My sister is with them, and I often check in with video calls.
Cristina has been preparing pizzas very often and they are absolutely excellent ! We have however a variety of pizza preferences so poor Cristina has to prepare five or six different kinds each time. We all help and Stefano finds the whole experience absolutely delightful …
We had a lovely moment recently when we noticed that we all needed haircuts. Clearly we couldn’t go out to have our hair cut so we decided to do it ourselves ! The most courageous in the family was Chiara. She was first up, and has very short hair. Cristina and I were quite successful with her. We were all laughing madly. Antonio and Luciano ran away to avoid our scissors. Stefano desperately needs a hair cut and he will be the next.
This period is one that lends itself to reflection. This isn’t something that I normally do. I have the time now. Apart from the worry, I actually am enjoying the opportunity to think, to consider.
If you remember, my in-laws live upstairs from my studio. They reside alone, are old and have many ailments, so I do take them their shopping, collect their medicine for them, and undertake various other small errands for them. Will things ever return to normal ?
which is never, ever still
Our neighborhood is unrecognizable. Naples is full of life normally, and also the alleys of my neighborhood Barra, with its market, which I know you remember.
When you were here last you were intrigued by all the little stores ! With your eyes full wonder and interest, you said that it was all like a living presepio scene. Now it’s not like that anymore. Not at all.
But I hope it will come back.