Pamplona’s Incredible Crèche with Fran
The first Nativity scene dates to the 2nd century A.D. in the Catacombs of Priscilla in Rome, Italy, but it was not until the 13th century, when Florentine artist Arnolfo di Cambio was inspired by Saint Francis of Assisi’s Christmas Eve mass, that Nativity scenes became famous. Today the tradition of constructing these religious works moves people worldwide. Pamplona in Northern Spain has one of the largest Nativity Scene Associations in Europe, and every year at Christmastime they display their incredible work. Join Fran Glaría of Traveling Steps as he visits this amazing exhibition.
Fran Glaria was born and raised in Pamplona, part of the Basque country in northern Spain. His passions for history, art and food, led him to tour guiding. Over 20 years ago, he started a small local guiding company in his hometown. This company evolved into designing tours in the Basque region, and also into organizing tours for the Running of the Bulls festival in Pamplona. In 2012 Fran joined the Rick Steves’ Europe team and discovered a great way of teaching about his culture. You can follow Fran and Traveling Steps on Facebook and Instagram.
