Since 1994, the Primaziale has had its own nativity scene. A series of wooden sculptures by the Pisan artist Vincenzo Fancelli are set in a different setting inside the cathedral every year.
Vincenzo Fancelli was born in Pisa in 1922 and was initiated by his father Otello, also a sculptor, into artistic studies. He trained in Florence at the Art Institute of Porta Romana, a pupil of Bruno Innocenti. In 1946, he moved to Paris where he completed his training at the Gromond architectural studio. In France, he specialised in the restoration of architectural monuments and plastic groups of important complexes and returned to Italy in 1985. In Pisa, in addition to the nativity scene in the cathedral, he created some sculptures for the churches of San Francesco, San Domenico and Sant'Ilario.
The 23 wooden sculptures of the nativity scene in the Cathedral were made in 1994. In the depiction of some of the characters, the artist has maintained a constructive solidity in the rendering of the figures in the Pisan and Tuscan sculptural tradition, matured through the study of ancient models. Elsewhere, the plastic modulation of the bodies and the modelling quality of the clothing create an evocative atmosphere of expectation, of astonishment, that characterises the nativity scene. The depiction of the Madonna departs from the previous tradition by privileging the relationship between mother and child and emphasising the humility of Mary, seated on the ground as she contemplates and wraps the Child in her arms.
The cathedral can be visited daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., but opening hours may vary on Sundays and religious holidays.
For all information on access, official website:https://www.opapisa.it/