A very typical tradition of the Azores is visiting the cribs scattered around the islands. Some of the most famous and visited are the ones in Furnas, Casa do Arcano, Manaias and Prior Evaristo Gouveia.
Arcano’s House
Arcano’s House was considered the first regional treasure of the Azores archipelago and is a true icon of the Azorean culture. This house is the testimony of the work of Mother Margarida do Apocalypse, the mother who dedicated 20 years of her life to execute this masterpiece that is the Arcano. The spaces of the house have remained unchanged, as is the case of the kitchen, the ceilings, the masonry in an attempt to demonstrate and get to know a life lived in a city of yesteryear. The various paintings, arranged over the three floors of the exhibition piece, are composed of small figures, all of them hand-moulded and made of the most varied materials, such as rice flour, animal gelatine, gum arabic and ground glass. According to what is said, the author made this work with the purpose of praising God, entertaining and teaching catechism. This is truly a giant nativity scene that can and should be admired by everyone.
Prior Evaristo Gouveia Crib
This bustling nativity scene is housed in the Ribeira Grande Museum and can be visited during the Christmas season, being one of the biggest Christmas attractions on the island of São Miguel. Since 2008 this nativity scene has been classified as a municipal asset and is said to have been created with the aim of helping the church and occupying the free time of the young people who used to meet at the Youth Association. The nativity scene has around 400 pieces made from a wide variety of materials, especially recyclable and natural ones.
Furnas Crib
The Furnas Valley hosts, year after year, one of the largest open-air nativity scenes in the Azores region. In harmony with nature, the nativity scene is arranged along the area of Caldeiras das Furnas, an arrangement that includes around 5000 figures. This crib is usually exposed to visitors from the beginning of December until the day of saint’s day.
Casa dos Manaias Crib
The crib of the Casa dos Manaias is a social inclusion project that tries to represent faith, the sacred family, and also the identity and traditions of the Azorean people. Special emphasis is given to the materials used as the basis for the construction of this crib, which is clay, natural materials, recyclable and also symbolic since some former users execute some of the pieces in order to be placed in the crib. With about 400 pieces built by users, since 2015, this crib is one of the many attractions of this Christmas cycle in the Azores.
