Italians have been erecting Nativity scenes for a very long time: St. Francis of Assisi is credited with setting up the first one on Christmas Eve in 1223, in the town of Greccio, north of Rome.

So they’ve had a lot of practice, and it shows. Many Italian churches put up tableaus of the birth of Jesus Christ that are so elaborate and beautiful, and so varied in approach, that visiting a number of them has become a popular holiday social activity.

Rome, with its churches and chapels by the score, has an especially rich Nativity-scene scene.

One of the most beloved is at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli al Campidoglio, above, with its life-size figures, dramatic lighting and elaborate backdrop, painted in 1820.