Aspettando il Natale a Calosso
Calosso's Christmas weekend just before the holiday: the crotin under the old centre open with a nativity scene in each, presepi around the village, the 'Casa di plastica' dressed for Christmas, and Father Christmas at the Teatro Comunale with sweets and hot chocolate for children.
Why it's special
Seeing presepi set inside the tufa cellars is something few villages can offer. In 2025 the centrepiece was a large mechanical nativity scene by Fabrizio Grimaldi and Giorgio Negro in the Crotin Zia Tina.
Programme · 2025
'Aspettando il Natale… nei crotin', organised by the Comune with village volunteers, especially the Biblioteca di Calosso group. Sat 20 and Sun 21 Dec, 9:00–12:00 and 15:00–18:00 – The crotin open, each with its own presepe; the big mechanical presepe by Fabrizio Grimaldi and Giorgio Negro in the Crotin Zia Tina
- In 2025 the crotin were open 9:00–12:00 and 15:00–18:00 on both days, and Father Christmas arrived at the Teatro Comunale at about 16:00 on Sunday for selfies, sweets and hot chocolate.
In the days before Christmas Calosso puts its crotin to seasonal use. In 2025 the cellars under the old centre opened for a weekend with a presepe in each, and the biggest, a mechanical nativity scene by Fabrizio Grimaldi and Giorgio Negro, filled the Crotin Zia Tina. More cribs were set out around the historic centre, Roberto Montafia's 'Casa di plastica' got a Christmas makeover, and Enzo Isaia's night photographs hung in the barrel cellar of the old Cantina Sociale. On the Sunday afternoon Father Christmas came to the Teatro Comunale for photos, with sweets and hot chocolate for the children.
The year before, the village marked Christmas with a single Sunday afternoon of carols by the school children, an elves' workshop in the library, Father Christmas, and a snack laid on by the Pro Loco, the Alpini and the other associations, with presepi already on show in the Crotin Zia Tina.
The format changes from year to year, but the presepi in the crotin have been part of both recent editions. See what else is on in Calosso.
More events in Monferrato in December 2025 →
Featured in our guides
Past editions
| Year | Dates | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20–21 December 2025 | 'Aspettando il Natale… nei crotin', organised by the Comune with village volunteers, especially the Biblioteca di Calosso group. Sat 20 and Sun 21 Dec, 9:00–12:00 and 15:00–18:00 – The crotin open, each with its own presepe; the big mechanical presepe by Fabrizio Grimaldi and Giorgio Negro in the Crotin Zia Tina Around the centre – nativity scenes in the historic centre, the 'Casa di plastica' in its Christmas version, the parish church of San Martino Exhibition – 'Vite notturne', photographs by Enzo Isaia, in the barrel cellar of the Antica Cantina Sociale Sun 21 Dec, about 16:00 – Father Christmas at the Teatro Comunale, with sweets and hot chocolate for children |
| 2024 | 22 December 2024 | 'Festa di Natale', organised by the Comune, the village associations and the parish oratory. Sun 22 Dec, 15:00 – Christmas carols by the primary-school children Sun 22 Dec, 16:00 – 'Laboratorio degli Elfi', a craft workshop for children in the library Sun 22 Dec, 17:00 – Father Christmas arrives Sun 22 Dec, 18:00 – Snacks from the associations: zabaione and biscuits (Pro Loco), vin brulé (Alpini), panettone (Amici di Calosso), friciulini from the oratory All day – presepi in the Crotin Zia Tina, an alternative Christmas tree by the 'Re Magici' in Piazza Mons. Bosio, lit Christmas silhouettes in front of the church |