It is a crib to behold. With an enchanting candour here, one becomes a child again and the remote voices of the ever genuine folk poetry return to fill the soul.
Marziano Bernardi, La Stampa, 24 December 1953
On Friday 8 December 2023, as per tradition, the Meucci Mechanical Historical Cribs will reopen to the public. They will be open until Sunday 28 January 2024, during Museum hours, upon payment of a ticket (1 euro).
These nativity scenes were conceived and realised around the middle of the last century by the skilful hands of the Calcesan artists Alberto and Renzo Meucci, with the help of valuable collaborators.
After the first nativity scene, dating back to Christmas 1948, others were built, which Renzo and Alberto took to Pisa, Livorno, Bologna, Verona, Milan, Turin, Parma, Ferrara, Rome and even Bogota, Colombia.
Since 2013, the cribs have been set up on the premises of the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa, and every year, during the festive season, they return to amaze young and old alike with their sets, details and movements of the characters.
Also this year, the Meucci cribs are part of the 'Terre di Presepi' network.
Visiting hours: Monday to Saturday: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Sundays and public holidays: 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.