The Nativity Scene At Greccio, Italy Royalty-Free Stock Photo

Greccio, a mountain village overhanging the Rieti valley north of Rome, is where St Francis of Assisi created the first living crib or Nativity scene in 1223. With a stunning view of the wide and fertile plain of Rieti enclosed by the Sabine Mountains, and one of the four Franciscan Sanctuaries of the Holy Valley, Greccio was the hamlet chosen by St. Francis to host the first nativity scene in history, perched on a spur of Mount Lacerone at more than 2300 feet above sea level.