Inspired by the passage from the Gospel of Matthew on the massacre of the innocents, this year’s Nativity transports the viewer directly to the rubble of Gaza and too many forgotten “Bethlehems”. The Foundation reminds us that the time of King Herod is unfortunately more alive than ever: the new tyrants are those who deny the future to the little ones, and not only under the bombs. They do it in Sudan, recruiting child soldiers, they do it by forcing girls into early marriages, exploiting child labor or deporting undocumented families.
Faced with these images of a betrayed childhood, the nativity scene poses an uncomfortable question: what can each of us do? The answer is entrusted to the central figure of the installation. A faceless character, who carries Baby Jesus in his arms – a symbol of a life that resists – has a mirror instead of a face.
It is not a simple artistic detail, but a call to responsibility: by approaching, the visitor sees his own face reflected in the scene. As he explains Iole Romano, creator of the work: “It is up to each person, looking in the mirror, to choose whether to remain a spectator or become the guardian of this wounded childhood.”
The nativity scene is set up at the Casa della Carità in Milan (entrance from via Francesco Brambilla 10). It will be open to visitors every day, from 9am to 8pm, until 7 January 2026.
