The St. Peter’s Square Christmas tree arrived in the Vatican on November 22, 2018, from the “Forest del Cansiglio,” in the Frioul-Venice-Giulia region, offered by the Concordia –Pordenone diocese. It is now standing, before being decorated and illuminated.
It is a spruce of some 21 meters high, of a 50-centimeter diameter and a circumference of some 10 meters at the base. The local forest corps of Pordenone did the felling on November 19.
The sculpting of the Crib has been underway since December 17. It is a pyramid of 1300 cubic meters of sand poured in St. Peter’s Square, for a work in keeping with the tradition of sand sculptures of Jesolo, originating in the Dolomites. This “Sand Nativity,” which will weigh 700 tons, is a gift from the city of Jesolo and from the Patriarchate of Venice.
A protection cover was set up; then, the four sculptors from different countries — Richard Varano (United States), Ilya Filimontsev (Russia), Susanne Ruseler (Low Countries), and Rodovan Ziuny (Czech Republic) — began their work on November 21 and will continue until December 6, putting the finishing touches. The Crib’s surface will be about 25 square meters, with a bas-relief 16 meters long, 5 meters high and 6 meters deep. On December 7 at noon, Pope Francis will receive the delegations from the diocese of Concordia-Pordenone and from the Region of Frioul-Venice-Giulia as well as from the Patriarchate of Venice and the municipality of Jesolo. The opening ceremony and illumination will take place at 4:30 pm on December 31. The Pontiff will recollect himself in prayer before the Crib, on the last day of the year, after the Te Deum in the Vatican Basilica.
