Nativity scene at CentroCentro Cibeles

Madrid residents and visitors will be able to see a traditional Nativity set in the Operations Hall of the Cibeles Palace during the Christmas season. From 28 November to 5 January 2025.

On 25 December 1223 in Greccio, Italy, Saint Francis of Assisi created the first nativity scene in history and started a tradition that is still going strong today. Madrid City Hall Nativity Scene commemorates that historic event with two hundred Hebrew-style figures, twenty buildings and plant features which are all original creations by artisan José Luis Mayo. 

Overseen by the Association of Nativity Scene Makers of Madrid (ABM), the general design and scenography depict six tableaux: the Annunciation to the Blessed Mary, the Search for an Inn, the Birth of Jesus, the Annunciation to the Shepherds, the Journey of the Magi, and the Flight into Egypt, which includes the sea for the first time.

This year, “assembling the nativity scene” has been declared a Representative Manifestation of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Spain by the Ministry of Culture and Sport. The City Hall Nativity Scene is marking the 800th anniversary of the birth of the tradition in the Operations Hall of CentroCentro with a circular crib that provides an excellent view of the entire scene.