Living Nativity Scene in Custonaci
Between Christmas and Epiphany, a stone village inside the Mangiapane Cave comes back to life with the rural Sicily of the late 1800s
By Salvatore Giuliano Published Updated
The story
It all started in 1983, when the parish priest at the time, Father Rosario Vanella, decided to celebrate Christmas Mass inside the Mangiapane Cave, in the hamlet of Scurati, a few kilometers from the center of Custonaci. That idea grew into the living nativity scene that draws thousands of visitors every year between Christmas and Epiphany; the 2026-2027 edition is the 42nd. Since 2006 it has been listed in Sicily's Register of Intangible Heritage.
The setting matters as much as the cast. The Mangiapane Cave is a huge opening in the rock, around 70 meters high and some 50 meters deep, used by people since prehistoric times: excavations have turned up Neolithic pottery and, in the nearby Mangiapane II cave, Upper Paleolithic flint tools. At the mouth of the cave and inside it stands a small village of stone houses, lived in from 1819 until the mid-20th century and once owned by the Mangiapane family, who gave the cave its name.
The nativity is not set in ancient Palestine but in the farming Sicily of the late 19th century. More than 150 performers, many of them locals and some of them working craftsmen, fill the houses, stables and henhouses: the coppersmith, the stonemason, the blacksmith, the boat builder, the carpenter and the storyteller, women at the loom, farmers bringing olives to the press and fishermen mending their nets. Lost trades come back too, like the "conza piatti e lemmi", who mended broken earthenware, and the "zabbarinaru", who wove agave fibers. To the sound of bagpipes, shawms and folk flutes, the walk ends deep in the cave at the torch-lit Nativity.
Schedule
- Christmas Day: the 42nd edition opens, with the walk through the stone houses of the Scurati village to the Nativity inside the Mangiapane Cave
- Last day of the first opening period
- The living nativity reopens for the second period
- Epiphany: last day of the edition
The official schedule for 2026 has not been published yet, so the dates shown are provisional. We will update this page as soon as the calendar is announced.
What to eat
In recent editions, visitors have been offered tastings of local products and traditional country food along the route through the village, made on the spot the old way.
In Custonaci's old town, where the shuttle buses leave from, look out for sfincia during the nativity days: a ring-shaped Christmas treat made with flour, milk and potatoes, sold alongside the Christmas market stalls.
Local tips
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Parking
In recent editions, visitors left their cars in Custonaci's old town, at the Piazza Campicello car park, where shuttle buses to the village and the cave departed; the ride was included in the ticket. For 2026-2027, check the arrangements on the Grotta Mangiapane website before you go.
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Payments
Admission is paid. Tickets are sold online through Liveticket, where you pick an entry time slot, or on site; prices for the new edition have not been published yet.
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Crowds and timing
The days between Christmas and New Year and around Epiphany are the busiest, so buying tickets in advance saves a long wait at the entrance. Groups can book on a dedicated number, +39 340 143 2291.
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What to wear
The route runs outdoors and inside the cave on uneven dirt paths, and visits take place in the late afternoon in December and January: wear comfortable shoes and a warm coat.
Weather forecast
Data: Open-Meteo
Getting there
The Mangiapane Cave is in the Scurati area, a few kilometers from the center of Custonaci. The nearest airport is Trapani Birgi, about 33 km away; from Trapani, Custonaci is roughly a 25-minute drive toward San Vito Lo Capo.
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Frequently asked questions
When can I visit the Custonaci living nativity in 2026-2027?
From 25 to 27 December 2026 and from 3 to 6 January 2027, according to the dates announced by the Grotta Mangiapane. Opening hours for the new edition have not been published yet.
Where is the living nativity?
In the Mangiapane Cave, in the Scurati area of Custonaci, in the province of Trapani, between the Gulf of Bonagia and Monte Cofano.
Do I need a ticket?
Yes, admission is paid. Tickets can be bought online on Liveticket, choosing a time slot, or on site.
Can I see it outside the Christmas season?
The Grotta Mangiapane village opens as a museum at various times of the year, and thanks to an agreement with the Segesta Archaeological Park the nativity can be visited virtually all year round with 3D headsets. The live performers are only there between Christmas and Epiphany.
