Vatican City: The relics of the Holy Crib, traditionally identified as fragments of the manger where Jesus was laid after his birth, will be temporarily moved to a side chapel at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome. The move will allow restoration work to be carried out on the historic niche and reliquary where the relics are normally kept.
The temporary arrangement will also give pilgrims and visitors an opportunity to come closer to the relics in a quieter setting for prayer and contemplation. The five thin pieces of sycamore wood are traditionally associated with the manger of Bethlehem and have been preserved at the Roman basilica for centuries.
The relics will be transferred from the Confessio in front of the Papal Altar to a chapel in the right nave. The new location will place them in close visual connection with Pompeo Batoni’s 18th century painting of the Annunciation.
The arrangement is intended to create a symbolic journey within the basilica, linking the angel’s announcement to Mary with the memory of Christ’s birth. The setting will connect the Annunciation and the Incarnation through the artwork and the relic of the manger.
The restoration is needed because the existing niche and reliquary no longer provide the conservation conditions considered necessary for the relics. A new case will be built with modern standards for stability, security and microclimate control while remaining integrated with the historic architecture of the Confessio.
A new blue mosaic background made from vitreous enamels and golden tiles will also be created behind the Sacred Cradle. The design is intended to evoke the sky of the Nativity.
The Holy Crib has a particularly important place in the history and devotional identity of Saint Mary Major. The basilica has long been associated with the memory of Christ’s Nativity and was known in ancient times as Santa Maria ad Praesepe, meaning Santa Maria near the Nativity Scene.
An ancient tradition connects the presence of the relics in Rome with devotion to the places associated with the Nativity and with Saint Jerome, who lived for many years in Bethlehem between the fourth and fifth centuries.
The history of the relics is also closely connected with the artistic development of the basilica. In 1802, Giuseppe Valadier designed the reliquary that houses the Sacred Cradle. Created in the form of a cradle, the work was intended to visually recall the mystery of the Nativity.
During the pontificate of Blessed Pius IX, the relic received another monumental setting. Between 1861 and 1864, Roman architect Virginio Vespignani created the large Confessio in front of the Papal Altar. The project used around seventy varieties of polychrome marble, much of it obtained from excavations taking place in Rome and Ostia at the time.
The temporary transfer will continue through the Christmas period. On Christmas Eve, December 24, the Holy Crib will be solemnly brought to the Papal Altar, following the longstanding tradition of the basilica.
The relics will remain at the Papal Altar throughout the Christmas Season. On Epiphany, they will be returned to their historic location and placed inside the newly restored reliquary beneath the renewed mosaic representation of the sky.
The conservation work will be carried out under the supervision of the Directorate of Museums and Cultural Heritage of the Governorate of Vatican City State. The restoration has been entrusted to Progetto Arte Poli of Verona.