Maligayang Pasko po!

A Romanesque ‘Belen’ in Plaça de Sant Jaume in Barcelona, Spain.

The classic Christmas installation pays tribute to the culture and tradition of Catalan art.

The custom of representing the birth of Jesus through figures during the Christmas period is a deeply rooted tradition in Catalonia. True to this tradition, a Christmas nativity scene is put up every year in Plaça de Sant Jaume, a big occasion in Barcelona.

This year, the culture and tradition of Catalan art, Romanesque art in particular, provide the main source of inspiration. This is hardly surprising, when you remember that MNAC has one of the best collections of Romanesque art in Europe.

This year’s nativity scene reproduces part of a Romanesque chapel in ruins, with its cloister set in a very Mediterranean landscape. You will find classical scenes such as the annunciation before the shepherds, the fishermen in their sea environment, the Three Wise Men and the birth of Jesus. Text lifted from the official website of the City Government of Barcelona: www.bcn.cat